BLS May 2025
Diesel Mechanic Salary by State
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) earned a median of $61,770 a year in the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 estimates, and the middle 80 percent earned between $44,530 and $88,740. 289,960 wage and salary jobs sit behind those figures, and the highest state median is $80,080 in Hawaii.
By Trevor Rupe, Contributor at Savo Media Group
At a Glance
- $61,770 median annual wage for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists (SOC 49-3031), BLS May 2025, or $29.70 an hour.
- $44,530 to $88,740 from the 10th to the 90th percentile.
- 289,960 jobs in the occupation, wage and salary workers only.
- Hawaii has the highest state median at $80,080; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA leads the metropolitan areas at $82,330.
Diesel Mechanic Salary Percentiles
Annual wages for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists (SOC 49-3031) across the United States, BLS OEWS May 2025. Percentiles are points in the wage distribution, not stages of a career, so the 10th percentile is not a starting salary.
| Measure | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $44,530 |
| 25th percentile | $50,540 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $61,770 |
| 75th percentile | $75,470 |
| 90th percentile | $88,740 |
| Mean | $64,320 |
| Median hourly wage | $29.70 |
| Wage and salary jobs | 289,960 |
Diesel Mechanic Salary by State
The ten highest state medians for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists show where a diesel mechanic salary runs highest, among states with at least 500 jobs in the occupation. The states with the most jobs are Texas (29,870), California (20,940), Florida (14,900) and Ohio (14,240).
| State | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $80,080 | 690 |
| Washington | $77,900 | 7,410 |
| Alaska | $75,580 | 860 |
| Maryland | $74,790 | 3,030 |
| California | $73,950 | 20,940 |
| Massachusetts | $73,270 | 4,870 |
| New Jersey | $72,340 | 8,160 |
| New Hampshire | $71,390 | 1,040 |
| Colorado | $70,480 | 4,600 |
| New York | $70,100 | 13,230 |
State pages carry the percentiles, the metropolitan areas and the five trades side by side for each of the 50 states, starting from the salary hub.
Diesel Mechanic Salary by Metro Area
The ten highest medians among the metropolitan areas with at least 1,000 jobs in the occupation. A metropolitan area that crosses state lines has one figure for the whole area.
| Metropolitan area | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $82,330 | 3,740 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $82,100 | 1,730 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $77,380 | 6,520 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $75,780 | 12,430 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $75,770 | 3,110 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $75,070 | 1,430 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $74,470 | 1,670 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $73,730 | 4,290 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $72,800 | 2,770 |
| Savannah, GA | $72,770 | 1,260 |
The largest metropolitan areas by jobs are New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (12,430 jobs, median $75,780), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (8,660 jobs, median $65,680), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (7,940 jobs, median $60,390) and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (7,410 jobs, median $60,770).
Diesel Mechanic Salary Compared With Other Trades
The diesel mechanic salary beside the other four mechanic trades, each its own BLS occupation, May 2025.
| Trade | Median | 10th to 90th percentile | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto Mechanic SOC 49-3023 | $50,620 | $34,660 to $81,790 | 704,640 |
| Diesel Mechanic SOC 49-3031 | $61,770 | $44,530 to $88,740 | 289,960 |
| Aircraft Mechanic SOC 49-3011 | $79,870 | $48,780 to $128,890 | 138,090 |
| Collision Repair Technician SOC 49-3021 | $54,890 | $36,910 to $87,940 | 149,310 |
| Heavy Equipment Mechanic SOC 49-3042 | $65,510 | $46,820 to $94,460 | 176,600 |
What Shapes a Diesel Mechanic Salary
BLS says employers may require or prefer certified diesel technicians and that certification may bring higher pay. Most diesel technicians work full time, and some work more than 40 hours a week; OEWS wages are straight-time gross pay, so overtime is not in the median.
Diesel technicians who begin without postsecondary education are trained extensively on the job, and BLS lists long-term on-the-job training for the occupation. The percentiles on this page are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
Training and Career Guide for Diesel Mechanic
The diesel mechanic career guide covers what the job is, the training routes and the credentials that apply. The accredited programs that train for it are ranked on this site.
Questions About Diesel Mechanic Salary
How much does a diesel mechanic make?
BLS reports a May 2025 median of $61,770 a year for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists (SOC 49-3031), or $29.70 an hour. The mean is $64,320. That is $11,150 above the median for automotive service technicians.
What is the lowest and highest pay for diesel mechanics?
BLS reports pay by percentile rather than by years of experience. In May 2025, the lowest-paid tenth of bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists earned under $44,530 and the highest-paid tenth earned over $88,740. The 10th percentile is the occupation's low end, not a starting salary.
What is the average diesel mechanic salary?
The median diesel mechanic salary in the BLS May 2025 estimates is $61,770 a year, the middle of the distribution, and the mean is $64,320.
Which state pays diesel mechanics the most?
Among states with at least 500 jobs in the occupation, Hawaii has the highest May 2025 median for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists, $80,080, followed by Washington ($77,900) and Alaska ($75,580).
Do the figures include self-employed diesel mechanics?
No. OEWS counts wage and salary jobs only, and BLS says its survey does not include the self-employed.
Sources for Diesel Mechanic Salary Data
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists May 2025 national, state and metropolitan estimates, read October 23, 2026.
- BLS OEWS technical notes The survey covers wage and salary workers and not the self-employed.
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