How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Kingsport, TN-VA?

The median hourly wage is $27.71. The middle half earn between $23.07 and $35.18 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Kingsport, TN-VA?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.53 an hour ($38,540 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.07.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Kingsport or Memphis?

Memphis pays more: the median is $57,630 in Kingsport and $61,360 in Memphis, a 6% difference.

How does Kingsport pay compare with the rest of Tennessee?

The Kingsport median of $57,630 is 3% less than the Tennessee median of $59,190.

Diesel mechanic salary in Kingsport, TN-VA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA area earn a median of $57,630 a year, or $27.71 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $77,120. Statewide, diesel mechanics earn a median of $59,190; Kingsport is 3% below it.

Median yearly pay$57,630

Bottom 10% under$38,540Top 10% over$77,120

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $18.53/hr
Jobs in this area: 290
After cost of living: $66,670
Median hourly pay: $27.71/hr
vs U.S. median: −7%
vs Tennessee median: −3%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 28700, Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA). 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	$38,540–$47,980$18.53–$23.07/hr
Experienced mechanic	$57,630$27.71/hr
Master / top earners	$73,180–$77,120$35.18–$37.08/hr

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

How Kingsport, TN-VA compares

Kingsport ranks 5th of 10 Tennessee metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics are more concentrated in the Kingsport area than nationally: 2.4 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.3 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $77,120, is 2.0 times the 10th-percentile wage, $38,540: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Tennessee metro areas

Other trades in Kingsport, TN-VA

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Kingsport, TN-VA?: Diesel mechanics in the Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA area earn a median of $57,630 a year, or $27.71 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $77,120.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Kingsport, TN-VA?: The median hourly wage is $27.71. The middle half earn between $23.07 and $35.18 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Kingsport, TN-VA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.53 an hour ($38,540 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.07.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Kingsport or Memphis?: Memphis pays more: the median is $57,630 in Kingsport and $61,360 in Memphis, a 6% difference.
How does Kingsport pay compare with the rest of Tennessee?: The Kingsport median of $57,630 is 3% 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 28700 (Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA). 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 (86.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures