All careersSkilled trades

Diesel Mechanic

$61,770
median pay per year
$44,530 – $88,740
what most earn (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Inspect, repair, and overhaul the diesel engines in trucks, buses, and heavy equipment.

Where you work

Repair shops and fleet garages; loud, greasy, standing and lifting.

The hours

Full-time; evening, night, and weekend shifts are common.

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$61,770
per year
What most earn
$44,530–$88,740
10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~26,500
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+2%
About average
Working in the U.S.
289,960
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

High school / no degree

Training path: Cert programs plus paid on-the-job training.

License or certification

No license required; a commercial driver's license and ASE certification help.

You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.

What it takes

Mechanical skillsTroubleshootingPhysical strengthAttention to detail

The honest take

Everything that moves freight needs one.

Standard Occupational Classification 49-3031. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.