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

The median hourly wage is $29.44. The middle half earn between $24.66 and $34.77 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

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

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.15 an hour ($46,070 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.66.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Rochester or New York?

New York pays more: the median is $61,240 in Rochester and $75,780 in New York, a 19% difference.

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

The Rochester median of $61,240 is 13% less than the New York median of $70,100.

Diesel mechanic salary in Rochester, NY

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Rochester, NY area earn a median of $61,240 a year, or $29.44 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $83,180 a year. Across all of New York, the median is $70,100, so Rochester pays 13% less than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$61,240

Bottom 10% under$46,070Top 10% over$83,180

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $22.15/hr
Jobs in this area: 870
After cost of living: $63,110
Median hourly pay: $29.44/hr
vs U.S. median: −1%
vs New York median: −13%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 40380, Rochester, 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	$46,070–$51,290$22.15–$24.66/hr
Experienced mechanic	$61,240$29.44/hr
Master / top earners	$72,310–$83,180$34.77–$39.99/hr

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

How Rochester, NY compares

Rochester ranks 8th of 13 New York metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics hold about the same share of jobs in the Rochester area as nationally: 1.8 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $83,180, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $46,070: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other New York metro areas

Other trades in Rochester, NY

Electrician HVAC technician Welder Lineman Plumber Carpenter Heavy equipment operator Auto mechanic Roofer Ironworker Millwright

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Rochester, NY?: Diesel mechanics in the Rochester, NY area earn a median of $61,240 a year, or $29.44 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $83,180 a year.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Rochester, NY?: The median hourly wage is $29.44. The middle half earn between $24.66 and $34.77 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Rochester, NY?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.15 an hour ($46,070 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.66.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Rochester or New York?: New York pays more: the median is $61,240 in Rochester and $75,780 in New York, a 19% difference.
How does Rochester pay compare with the rest of New York?: The Rochester median of $61,240 is 13% 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 40380 (Rochester, 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 (97.0, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures