Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists pay in the United States

Goes furthest in North Dakota
·Installation and Repair·
290k jobs
Figures from US Bureau of Labor StatisticsOccupational Employment and Wage Statistics
$29.70/hr median
289,960 employed
+4% to 2035
29% AI exposure
High school diploma or equivalent
53 states reported
and more...

What this work is

Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul buses and trucks, or maintain and repair any type of diesel engines. Includes mechanics working primarily with automobile or marine diesel engines.

Where the money actually goes furthest

Hawaii pays the highest headline figure at $80,080. Adjusted for what things cost there it is worth $72,833 — less than North Dakota, where $66,110 is worth $74,314.

Pay by state

53 states and territories publish a median for this occupation. Switch the ranking to see how much the order changes.

Adjusted for what things cost in that state.

Median pay for Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists by state, ranked by what it is worth locally
StateHourlyAnnualWorth locallyAfter state taxJobs
North Dakota$31.78/hr$66,110$74,314$66,0501,790
Alaska$36.34/hr$75,580$73,837$75,580860
Hawaii$38.50/hr$80,080$72,833$75,437690
Washington$37.45/hr$77,900$72,796$77,9007,410
Maryland$35.96/hr$74,790$71,255$71,4183,030
Massachusetts$35.23/hr$73,270$69,279$69,6064,870
New Hampshire$34.32/hr$71,390$68,532$71,3901,040
Nevada$32.89/hr$68,410$68,423$68,4101,990
Colorado$33.89/hr$70,480$68,393$68,1054,600
Iowa$28.69/hr$59,680$68,003$57,9664,140
Minnesota$32.14/hr$66,840$67,775$63,7587,300
California$35.55/hr$73,950$66,790$71,01620,940
Louisiana$28.21/hr$58,680$66,523$57,2943,270
New Jersey$34.78/hr$72,340$66,482$69,8358,160
Wyoming$29.61/hr$61,580$66,436$61,5801,100
Wisconsin$30.02/hr$62,450$66,365$60,2376,750
Kansas$28.59/hr$59,460$66,015$56,4303,300
Rhode Island$32.34/hr$67,270$65,770$65,143350
Nebraska$28.44/hr$59,140$65,638$56,9742,720
South Dakota$27.94/hr$58,120$65,605$58,1201,340
Missouri$28.54/hr$59,360$65,360$57,4266,780
Ohio$29.07/hr$60,470$65,182$59,52314,240
Utah$30.94/hr$64,350$65,092$61,4222,690
New York$33.70/hr$70,100$64,955$66,84913,230
Connecticut$32.36/hr$67,300$64,955$64,3482,860
Indiana$29.14/hr$60,610$64,941$58,8218,840
Tennessee$28.46/hr$59,190$64,428$59,1905,720
Illinois$30.93/hr$64,340$64,365$61,29211,320
Michigan$29.53/hr$61,420$63,832$59,0479,020
Georgia$29.50/hr$61,370$63,734$58,80710,910
Delaware$30.57/hr$63,590$63,711$60,624670
Montana$28.84/hr$59,990$63,380$57,5651,230
South Carolina$28.53/hr$59,330$63,285$57,2343,360
Pennsylvania$29.68/hr$61,740$63,277$59,84412,630
Oklahoma$26.61/hr$55,340$63,000$53,2013,970
Maine$29.26/hr$60,850$62,699$57,9821,380
Mississippi$26.14/hr$54,360$62,518$52,0693,140
Idaho$28.48/hr$59,230$62,027$56,8641,930
Oregon$30.76/hr$63,970$61,890$58,9133,770
Kentucky$26.67/hr$55,480$61,535$53,3873,890
Arizona$29.65/hr$61,680$61,263$60,5035,140
North Carolina$27.64/hr$57,490$60,945$55,58811,070
New Mexico$26.88/hr$55,910$60,633$54,2821,740
Vermont$28.55/hr$59,390$60,626$57,407550
Texas$28.27/hr$58,810$60,591$58,81029,870
Virginia$29.37/hr$61,090$60,425$58,3238,070
Arkansas$25.16/hr$52,330$60,190$50,4654,090
District of Columbia$31.34/hr$65,200$59,326$62,311110
Florida$29.08/hr$60,490$58,495$60,49014,900
Alabama$24.26/hr$50,470$56,822$48,1366,130
West Virginia$22.41/hr$46,610$52,078$45,1511,040
Guam$24.86/hr$51,720Not publishedNot published30
Puerto Rico$19.28/hr$40,110Not publishedNot published930

National median for comparison: $61,770. “Worth locally” divides pay by the area’s price level, so a figure above the headline means money goes further there than the US average.

$61,770/year

$29.70/hr an hour, national median

Across the states

$29,650$92,880

25th to 75th percentile, lowest and highest state

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How much of this job could software do?

29%Low exposure
Hands, places, peopleLanguage and information

The two methods broadly agree.

Method 1 — ability mix40%

Cognitive share of O*NET ability importance (element families 1.A.1–1.A.4), O*NET 31.0

Method 2 — task content19%

Importance-weighted share of O*NET tasks classed as language or information work, O*NET 31.0

What this does and does not mean

Exposure means a model could plausibly do a meaningful share of the tasks in this job. It is not a forecast that the job disappears, and it says nothing about whether any employer will actually automate it.

For what the labour market expects, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in this occupation to change by +4% between 2025 and 2035, with about 24,400 openings a year.

Which parts are exposed

  • Use handtools, such as screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, pressure gauges, or precision instruments, as well as power tools, such as pneumatic wrenches, lathes, welding equipment, or jacks and hoists.
  • Inspect brake systems, steering mechanisms, wheel bearings, and other important parts to ensure that they are in proper operating condition.
  • Raise trucks, buses, and heavy parts or equipment using hydraulic jacks or hoists.
  • Adjust and reline brakes, align wheels, tighten bolts and screws, and reassemble equipment.
  • Attach test instruments to equipment, and read dials and gauges to diagnose malfunctions.
  • Perform routine maintenance such as changing oil, checking batteries, and lubricating equipment and machinery.

Amber marks language and information work. Green marks tasks that need a person in a place.

Where bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists move next

Occupations that share most of this one’s skills, with the pay difference and the change in AI exposure.

Location

San Diego, CA, United States of America (SAN-San Diego Intl.)

Photograph by abdo alshreef.