Diesel mechanic salary in Houston, TX
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Diesel mechanics in the Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands, TX area earn a median of $60,770 a year, or $29.22 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $96,650 a year. Across all of Texas, the median is $58,810, so Houston pays 3% more than the state as a whole.
- Entry-level starting pay (estimate)
- $21.62/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 7,410
- After cost of living
- $61,610
- Median hourly pay
- $29.22/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −2%
- vs Texas median
- +3%
Entry-level to master diesel mechanic pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $44,960–$49,810$21.62–$23.95/hr | |
| Experienced mechanic | $60,770$29.22/hr | |
| Master / top earners | $74,500–$96,650$35.82–$46.47/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Houston, TX compares
- Houston ranks 4th of 25 Texas metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
- Diesel mechanics are more concentrated in the Houston area than nationally: 2.3 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.2 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $96,650, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $44,960: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other Texas metro areas
Other trades in Houston, TX
Questions
- How much do diesel mechanics make in Houston, TX?
- Diesel mechanics in the Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands, TX area earn a median of $60,770 a year, or $29.22 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $96,650 a year.
- How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Houston, TX?
- The median hourly wage is $29.22. The middle half earn between $23.95 and $35.82 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Houston, TX?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.62 an hour ($44,960 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.95.
- Do diesel mechanics make more in Houston or Austin?
- Pay is about the same: the median is $60,770 in Houston and $61,070 in Austin.
- How does Houston pay compare with the rest of Texas?
- The Houston median of $60,770 is 3% more than the Texas median of $58,810.
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 26420 (Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX). 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 (98.6, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures