How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Columbia, SC?

The median hourly wage is $29.00. The middle half earn between $23.75 and $33.17 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Columbia, SC?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.03 an hour ($45,830 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.75.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Columbia or Charleston?

Charleston pays more: the median is $60,320 in Columbia and $61,000 in Charleston, a 1% difference.

How does Columbia pay compare with the rest of South Carolina?

The Columbia median of $60,320 is 2% more than the South Carolina median of $59,330.

Diesel mechanic salary in Columbia, SC

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Columbia, SC area earn a median of $60,320 a year, or $29.00 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $94,860. Statewide, diesel mechanics earn a median of $59,330; Columbia is 2% above it.

Median yearly pay$60,320

Bottom 10% under$45,830Top 10% over$94,860

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $22.03/hr
Jobs in this area: 520
After cost of living: $64,400
Median hourly pay: $29.00/hr
vs U.S. median: −2%
vs South Carolina median: +2%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 17900, Columbia, SC). 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	$45,830–$49,400$22.03–$23.75/hr
Experienced mechanic	$60,320$29.00/hr
Master / top earners	$68,990–$94,860$33.17–$45.60/hr

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

How Columbia, SC compares

Columbia ranks 3rd of 10 South Carolina metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics are less concentrated in the Columbia area than nationally: 1.3 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.71 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $94,860, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $45,830: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other South Carolina metro areas

Other trades in Columbia, SC

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Columbia, SC?: Diesel mechanics in the Columbia, SC area earn a median of $60,320 a year, or $29.00 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $94,860.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Columbia, SC?: The median hourly wage is $29.00. The middle half earn between $23.75 and $33.17 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Columbia, SC?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.03 an hour ($45,830 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.75.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Columbia or Charleston?: Charleston pays more: the median is $60,320 in Columbia and $61,000 in Charleston, a 1% difference.
How does Columbia pay compare with the rest of South Carolina?: The Columbia median of $60,320 is 2% 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 17900 (Columbia, 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 (93.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures