How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Ithaca, NY?

The median hourly wage is $29.57. The middle half earn between $24.01 and $32.63 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Ithaca, NY?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.01 an hour ($45,780 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.01.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Ithaca or New York?

New York pays more: the median is $61,500 in Ithaca and $75,780 in New York, a 19% difference.

How does Ithaca pay compare with the rest of New York?

The Ithaca median of $61,500 is 12% less than the New York median of $70,100.

Diesel mechanic salary in Ithaca, NY

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Ithaca, NY area earn a median of $61,500 a year, or $29.57 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $75,520. That's 12% less than the New York median of $70,100.

Median yearly pay$61,500

Bottom 10% under$45,780Top 10% over$75,520

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $22.01/hr
Jobs in this area: 70
After cost of living: $59,530
Median hourly pay: $29.57/hr
vs U.S. median: 0%
vs New York median: −12%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 27060, Ithaca, NY). Excludes self-employed diesel mechanics. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. *Starting pay is estimated from the 10th percentile; BLS does not report pay by license level.

Entry-level to master diesel mechanic pay

Stage	Yearly pay	Hourly pay
Entry level	$45,780–$49,940$22.01–$24.01/hr
Experienced mechanic	$61,500$29.57/hr
Master / top earners	$67,870–$75,520$32.63–$36.31/hr

Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.

How Ithaca, NY compares

Ithaca ranks 7th of 13 New York metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics are less concentrated in the Ithaca area than nationally: 1.5 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.81 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $75,520, is 1.6 times the 10th-percentile wage, $45,780: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other New York metro areas

Other trades in Ithaca, NY

Electrician HVAC technician Plumber Carpenter Heavy equipment operator Auto mechanic

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Ithaca, NY?: Diesel mechanics in the Ithaca, NY area earn a median of $61,500 a year, or $29.57 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $75,520.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Ithaca, NY?: The median hourly wage is $29.57. The middle half earn between $24.01 and $32.63 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Ithaca, NY?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.01 an hour ($45,780 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.01.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Ithaca or New York?: New York pays more: the median is $61,500 in Ithaca and $75,780 in New York, a 19% difference.
How does Ithaca pay compare with the rest of New York?: The Ithaca median of $61,500 is 12% less than the New York median of $70,100.

About this data

Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, occupation 49-3031 (Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists), area code 27060 (Ithaca, NY). BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed diesel mechanics and business owners aren't included. The cost-of-living figure divides the median by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity for 2024 (103.3, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures