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

The median hourly wage is $27.89. The middle half earn between $22.80 and $31.30 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

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

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.61 an hour ($36,630 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.80.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Knoxville or Memphis?

Memphis pays more: the median is $58,010 in Knoxville and $61,360 in Memphis, a 5% difference.

How does Knoxville pay compare with the rest of Tennessee?

The Knoxville median of $58,010 is 2% less than the Tennessee median of $59,190.

Diesel mechanic salary in Knoxville, TN

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Knoxville, TN area earn a median of $58,010 a year, or $27.89 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $74,640. Across all of Tennessee, the median is $59,190, so Knoxville pays 2% less than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$58,010

Bottom 10% under$36,630Top 10% over$74,640

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $17.61/hr
Jobs in this area: 910
After cost of living: $62,670
Median hourly pay: $27.89/hr
vs U.S. median: −6%
vs Tennessee median: −2%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 28940, Knoxville, 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	$36,630–$47,430$17.61–$22.80/hr
Experienced mechanic	$58,010$27.89/hr
Master / top earners	$65,100–$74,640$31.30–$35.89/hr

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

How Knoxville, TN compares

Knoxville ranks 4th of 10 Tennessee metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics are more concentrated in the Knoxville area than nationally: 2.1 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.1 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $74,640, is 2.0 times the 10th-percentile wage, $36,630: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Tennessee metro areas

Other trades in Knoxville, TN

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Knoxville, TN?: Diesel mechanics in the Knoxville, TN area earn a median of $58,010 a year, or $27.89 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $74,640.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Knoxville, TN?: The median hourly wage is $27.89. The middle half earn between $22.80 and $31.30 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Knoxville, TN?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.61 an hour ($36,630 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.80.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Knoxville or Memphis?: Memphis pays more: the median is $58,010 in Knoxville and $61,360 in Memphis, a 5% difference.
How does Knoxville pay compare with the rest of Tennessee?: The Knoxville median of $58,010 is 2% 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 28940 (Knoxville, 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 (92.6, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures