How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Wausau, WI?

The median hourly wage is $28.53. The middle half earn between $21.54 and $30.82 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Wausau, WI?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.49 an hour ($36,370 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.54.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Wausau or Minneapolis?

Minneapolis pays more: the median is $59,350 in Wausau and $73,730 in Minneapolis, a 20% difference.

How does Wausau pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?

The Wausau median of $59,350 is 5% less than the Wisconsin median of $62,450.

Diesel mechanic salary in Wausau, WI

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Wausau, WI area earn a median of $59,350 a year, or $28.53 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $76,890. Statewide, diesel mechanics earn a median of $62,450; Wausau is 5% below it.

Median yearly pay$59,350

Bottom 10% under$36,370Top 10% over$76,890

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $17.49/hr
Jobs in this area: 280
After cost of living: $64,060
Median hourly pay: $28.53/hr
vs U.S. median: −4%
vs Wisconsin median: −5%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 48140, Wausau, WI). 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	$36,370–$44,810$17.49–$21.54/hr
Experienced mechanic	$59,350$28.53/hr
Master / top earners	$64,100–$76,890$30.82–$36.97/hr

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

How Wausau, WI compares

Wausau has the lowest diesel mechanic median of the 15 Wisconsin metro areas with published pay.
Diesel mechanics are more concentrated in the Wausau area than nationally: 4.1 of every 1,000 jobs, 2.2 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $76,890, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $36,370: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Wisconsin metro areas

Other trades in Wausau, WI

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Wausau, WI?: Diesel mechanics in the Wausau, WI area earn a median of $59,350 a year, or $28.53 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $76,890.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Wausau, WI?: The median hourly wage is $28.53. The middle half earn between $21.54 and $30.82 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Wausau, WI?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.49 an hour ($36,370 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.54.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Wausau or Minneapolis?: Minneapolis pays more: the median is $59,350 in Wausau and $73,730 in Minneapolis, a 20% difference.
How does Wausau pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?: The Wausau median of $59,350 is 5% less than the Wisconsin median of $62,450.

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 48140 (Wausau, WI). 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 (92.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures