How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Johnson City, TN?

The median hourly wage is $25.62. The middle half earn between $21.21 and $29.96 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Johnson City, TN?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.09 an hour ($37,620 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.21.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Johnson City or Memphis?

Memphis pays more: the median is $53,290 in Johnson City and $61,360 in Memphis, a 13% difference.

How does Johnson City pay compare with the rest of Tennessee?

The Johnson City median of $53,290 is 10% less than the Tennessee median of $59,190.

Diesel mechanic salary in Johnson City, TN

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Johnson City, TN area earn a median of $53,290 a year, or $25.62 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $78,990 a year. Across all of Tennessee, the median is $59,190, so Johnson City pays 10% less than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$53,290

Bottom 10% under$37,620Top 10% over$78,990

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $18.09/hr
Jobs in this area: 60
After cost of living: $60,610
Median hourly pay: $25.62/hr
vs U.S. median: −14%
vs Tennessee median: −10%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 27740, Johnson City, TN). 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	$37,620–$44,120$18.09–$21.21/hr
Experienced mechanic	$53,290$25.62/hr
Master / top earners	$62,310–$78,990$29.96–$37.98/hr

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

How Johnson City, TN compares

Johnson City ranks 9th of 10 Tennessee metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics are less concentrated in the Johnson City area than nationally: 0.8 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.41 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $78,990, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $37,620: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Tennessee metro areas

Other trades in Johnson City, TN

Electrician HVAC technician Welder Plumber Carpenter Heavy equipment operator Auto mechanic

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Johnson City, TN?: Diesel mechanics in the Johnson City, TN area earn a median of $53,290 a year, or $25.62 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $78,990 a year.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Johnson City, TN?: The median hourly wage is $25.62. The middle half earn between $21.21 and $29.96 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Johnson City, TN?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.09 an hour ($37,620 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.21.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Johnson City or Memphis?: Memphis pays more: the median is $53,290 in Johnson City and $61,360 in Memphis, a 13% difference.
How does Johnson City pay compare with the rest of Tennessee?: The Johnson City median of $53,290 is 10% less than the Tennessee median of $59,190.

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 27740 (Johnson City, TN). 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 (87.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures