How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Reading, PA?

The median hourly wage is $33.00. The middle half earn between $27.93 and $37.27 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Reading, PA?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.45 an hour ($48,770 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $27.93.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Reading or Philadelphia?

Reading pays more: the median is $68,640 in Reading and $64,550 in Philadelphia, a 6% difference.

How does Reading pay compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?

The Reading median of $68,640 is 11% more than the Pennsylvania median of $61,740.

Diesel mechanic salary in Reading, PA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Reading, PA area earn a median of $68,640 a year, or $33.00 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $77,510. That's 11% more than the Pennsylvania median of $61,740.

Median yearly pay$68,640

Bottom 10% under$48,770Top 10% over$77,510

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $23.45/hr
Jobs in this area: 710
After cost of living: $70,720
Median hourly pay: $33.00/hr
vs U.S. median: +11%
vs Pennsylvania median: +11%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 39740, Reading, PA). 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	$48,770–$58,100$23.45–$27.93/hr
Experienced mechanic	$68,640$33.00/hr
Master / top earners	$77,510–$77,510$37.27–$37.27/hr

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

How Reading, PA compares

Reading has the highest diesel mechanic median of the 16 Pennsylvania metro areas with published pay.
Diesel mechanics are more concentrated in the Reading area than nationally: 4.1 of every 1,000 jobs, 2.2 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $77,510, is 1.6 times the 10th-percentile wage, $48,770: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Pennsylvania metro areas

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Reading, PA?: Diesel mechanics in the Reading, PA area earn a median of $68,640 a year, or $33.00 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $77,510.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Reading, PA?: The median hourly wage is $33.00. The middle half earn between $27.93 and $37.27 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Reading, PA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.45 an hour ($48,770 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $27.93.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Reading or Philadelphia?: Reading pays more: the median is $68,640 in Reading and $64,550 in Philadelphia, a 6% difference.
How does Reading pay compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?: The Reading median of $68,640 is 11% more than the Pennsylvania median of $61,740.

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 39740 (Reading, PA). 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 (97.1, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures