Diesel mechanic salary in Charleston, SC
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Diesel mechanics in the Charleston–North Charleston, SC area earn a median of $61,000 a year, or $29.33 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $79,340 a year. Statewide, diesel mechanics earn a median of $59,330; Charleston is 3% above it.
- Entry-level starting pay (estimate)
- $22.38/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 540
- After cost of living
- $60,420
- Median hourly pay
- $29.33/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −1%
- vs South Carolina median
- +3%
Entry-level to master diesel mechanic pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $46,550–$50,820$22.38–$24.43/hr | |
| Experienced mechanic | $61,000$29.33/hr | |
| Master / top earners | $66,350–$79,340$31.90–$38.14/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Charleston, SC compares
- Charleston has the highest diesel mechanic median of the 10 South Carolina metro areas with published pay.
- Diesel mechanics are less concentrated in the Charleston area than nationally: 1.4 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.74 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $79,340, is 1.7 times the 10th-percentile wage, $46,550: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other South Carolina metro areas
Other trades in Charleston, SC
Questions
- How much do diesel mechanics make in Charleston, SC?
- Diesel mechanics in the Charleston–North Charleston, SC area earn a median of $61,000 a year, or $29.33 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $79,340 a year.
- How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Charleston, SC?
- The median hourly wage is $29.33. The middle half earn between $24.43 and $31.90 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Charleston, SC?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.38 an hour ($46,550 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.43.
- Do diesel mechanics make more in Charleston or Spartanburg?
- Pay is about the same: the median is $61,000 in Charleston and $60,750 in Spartanburg.
- How does Charleston pay compare with the rest of South Carolina?
- The Charleston median of $61,000 is 3% more than the South Carolina median of $59,330.
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 16700 (Charleston-North Charleston, SC). 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 (101.0, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures