How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Dayton, OH?

The median hourly wage is $30.16. The middle half earn between $26.21 and $35.63 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Dayton, OH?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.95 an hour ($47,740 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $26.21.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Dayton or Cleveland?

Pay is about the same: the median is $62,730 in Dayton and $62,690 in Cleveland.

How does Dayton pay compare with the rest of Ohio?

The Dayton median of $62,730 is 4% more than the Ohio median of $60,470.

Diesel mechanic salary in Dayton, OH

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Dayton–Kettering–Beavercreek, OH area earn a median of $62,730 a year, or $30.16 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $79,040. Statewide, diesel mechanics earn a median of $60,470; Dayton is 4% above it.

Median yearly pay$62,730

Bottom 10% under$47,740Top 10% over$79,040

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $22.95/hr
Jobs in this area: 810
After cost of living: $67,670
Median hourly pay: $30.16/hr
vs U.S. median: +2%
vs Ohio median: +4%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 19430, Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH). 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	$47,740–$54,510$22.95–$26.21/hr
Experienced mechanic	$62,730$30.16/hr
Master / top earners	$74,110–$79,040$35.63–$38.00/hr

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

How Dayton, OH compares

Dayton has the highest diesel mechanic median of the 15 Ohio metro areas with published pay.
Diesel mechanics are more concentrated in the Dayton area than nationally: 2.2 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.2 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $79,040, is 1.7 times the 10th-percentile wage, $47,740: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Ohio metro areas

Other trades in Dayton, OH

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Dayton, OH?: Diesel mechanics in the Dayton–Kettering–Beavercreek, OH area earn a median of $62,730 a year, or $30.16 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $79,040.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Dayton, OH?: The median hourly wage is $30.16. The middle half earn between $26.21 and $35.63 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Dayton, OH?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.95 an hour ($47,740 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $26.21.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Dayton or Cleveland?: Pay is about the same: the median is $62,730 in Dayton and $62,690 in Cleveland.
How does Dayton pay compare with the rest of Ohio?: The Dayton median of $62,730 is 4% more than the Ohio median of $60,470.

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 19430 (Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH). 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 (92.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures