Diesel Mechanics

Diesel mechanics' earnings vary depending on their region, industry (trucking, construction, railroad), and other factors. According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the median hourly pay for all diesel mechanics in May 2023 was $28.35, or approximately $58,970 annually, for full-time employment. The department also reported that the lowest paid 10 percent of diesel mechanics earned approximately $39,020 a year. The highest paid 10 percent earned more than $82,430 a year. Fifty percent of diesel mechanics earned between $47,730 and $70,470.

The DOL reports that diesel mechanics earned the following mean annual salaries by specialty:

• natural gas distribution: $101,610
• electric power generation, transmission, and distribution: $88,320
• local government (except schools and hospitals): $70,400
• interurban and rural bus transportation: $62,590
• urban transit systems: $62,260
• motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies merchant wholesalers: $61,410
• automotive equipment rental and leasing: $55,180
• truck transportation: $54,470

Mechanics who work for companies that operate around the clock, such as bus lines, may work at night, on weekends, or on holidays and receive extra pay. For example, mechanics working for construction companies during peak summer building seasons earn overtime pay. Some industries, such as construction, are subject to seasonal variations in employment levels.

Many diesel mechanics are members of labor unions, and their wage rates are established by contracts between the union and the employer. Benefits packages vary from business to business. Mechanics can expect health insurance and paid vacation from most employers. Other benefits may include dental and eye care, life and disability insurance, and a pension plan. Employers usually cover a mechanic's work clothes through a clothing allowance and may pay a percentage of hand-tools purchases. An increasing number of employers pay all or most of an employee's certification training if he or she passes the test. A mechanic's salary can increase if they receive yearly bonuses or profit sharing if the business does well.