How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Raleigh, NC?

The median hourly wage is $28.99. The middle half earn between $24.61 and $34.04 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Raleigh, NC?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.48 an hour ($46,750 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.61.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Raleigh or Charlotte?

Pay is about the same: the median is $60,310 in Raleigh and $60,300 in Charlotte.

How does Raleigh pay compare with the rest of North Carolina?

The Raleigh median of $60,310 is 5% more than the North Carolina median of $57,490.

Diesel mechanic salary in Raleigh, NC

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Raleigh–Cary, NC area earn a median of $60,310 a year, or $28.99 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $77,210 a year. That's 5% more than the North Carolina median of $57,490.

Median yearly pay$60,310

Bottom 10% under$46,750Top 10% over$77,210

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $22.48/hr
Jobs in this area: 1,070
After cost of living: $61,440
Median hourly pay: $28.99/hr
vs U.S. median: −2%
vs North Carolina median: +5%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 39580, Raleigh-Cary, NC). 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	$46,750–$51,200$22.48–$24.61/hr
Experienced mechanic	$60,310$28.99/hr
Master / top earners	$70,790–$77,210$34.04–$37.12/hr

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

How Raleigh, NC compares

Raleigh ranks 3rd of 16 North Carolina metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics are less concentrated in the Raleigh area than nationally: 1.4 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.77 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $77,210, is 1.7 times the 10th-percentile wage, $46,750: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other North Carolina metro areas

Other trades in Raleigh, NC

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Raleigh, NC?: Diesel mechanics in the Raleigh–Cary, NC area earn a median of $60,310 a year, or $28.99 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $77,210 a year.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Raleigh, NC?: The median hourly wage is $28.99. The middle half earn between $24.61 and $34.04 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Raleigh, NC?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.48 an hour ($46,750 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.61.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Raleigh or Charlotte?: Pay is about the same: the median is $60,310 in Raleigh and $60,300 in Charlotte.
How does Raleigh pay compare with the rest of North Carolina?: The Raleigh median of $60,310 is 5% more than the North Carolina median of $57,490.

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 39580 (Raleigh-Cary, NC). 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 (98.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures