How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Seattle, WA?

The median hourly wage is $39.58. The middle half earn between $34.53 and $46.73 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Seattle, WA?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $29.53 an hour ($61,410 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $34.53.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Seattle or Olympia?

Seattle pays more: the median is $82,330 in Seattle and $78,960 in Olympia, a 4% difference.

How does Seattle pay compare with the rest of Washington?

The Seattle median of $82,330 is 6% more than the Washington median of $77,900.

Diesel mechanic salary in Seattle, WA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue, WA area earn a median of $82,330 a year, or $39.58 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $115,550 a year. That's 6% more than the Washington median of $77,900.

Median yearly pay$82,330

Bottom 10% under$61,410Top 10% over$115,550

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $29.53/hr
Jobs in this area: 3,740
After cost of living: $74,080
Median hourly pay: $39.58/hr
vs U.S. median: +33%
vs Washington median: +6%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 42660, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA). 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	$61,410–$71,810$29.53–$34.53/hr
Experienced mechanic	$82,330$39.58/hr
Master / top earners	$97,190–$115,550$46.73–$55.56/hr

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

How Seattle, WA compares

Seattle has the highest diesel mechanic median of the 13 Washington metro areas with published pay.
Diesel mechanics hold about the same share of jobs in the Seattle area as nationally: 1.8 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $115,550, is 1.9 times the 10th-percentile wage, $61,410: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Washington metro areas

Other trades in Seattle, WA

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Seattle, WA?: Diesel mechanics in the Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue, WA area earn a median of $82,330 a year, or $39.58 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $115,550 a year.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Seattle, WA?: The median hourly wage is $39.58. The middle half earn between $34.53 and $46.73 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Seattle, WA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $29.53 an hour ($61,410 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $34.53.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Seattle or Olympia?: Seattle pays more: the median is $82,330 in Seattle and $78,960 in Olympia, a 4% difference.
How does Seattle pay compare with the rest of Washington?: The Seattle median of $82,330 is 6% more than the Washington median of $77,900.

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 42660 (Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA). 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 (111.1, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures