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How Much Does a Diesel Mechanic Make?

The Mechanic Doctor

Most people choose their careers based on the money they would make rather than interest or, in some cases, both. If you are in the same situation and wondering how much a diesel mechanic can make, then we are here to help. We have gathered data based on multiple US organizational reports and came up with many figures under varying circumstances. The amount may vary from place to place and depend on the work conditions you follow. Still, we managed to give you an exact idea of how much money you can make as a diesel mechanic.

What is a Diesel Mechanic?

Diesel mechanics are in charge of maintaining, repairing, and overall caring for diesel vehicles such as trucks, boats, buses, cranes, bulldozers, and more. Some diesel mechanics are in charge of a specific task based on their expertise on a particular diesel engine. Overall, most diesel machines repair, replace, recondition, assemble and disassemble, weld, and examine various parts of machinery and engines. It is entirely a physical task where you need to move from one vehicle to another all day. In some cases, you need to do remote work as well, such as situations where vehicles broke on the road, and you have to reach there.

Moreover, a diesel mechanic can work as a government employee, any private organization employee, individually, vehicle wholesaling, freight trucking, and mass transit. The professional mechanic keeps good communication with drivers and customers while providing efficient services in solving their problems in the shortest possible time. Before someone wishes to be a diesel mechanic, they must have a firm grip on the skills as it requires challenging and efficient work. If you have a training certificate from any authorized institute, it would be helpful in your career. This is all you need to know about a diesel mechanic. Now, let’s move to some other aspects.

How Much Do Diesel Mechanics Earn?

Keep in mind that the numbers for people working as diesel mechanics are comparatively less because it requires work on heavy machinery. That’s why the demand is high so are the paying rates. On average, the median annual salary for truck, bus mechanics, and diesel engine specialists was $48,500 in May 2019, according to a report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). It means you can make more than this salary and less as well depending on the work conditions.

Moreover, it also changes from state to state within the USA, which can be several internal and external factors such as demand, industrial work, and living costs. We have listed the top five annual salaries for diesel mechanics in the USA. It can help if you can move to a different state, only focusing on your career.

  1. Columbia: $69,130

  2. Alaska: $62,800

  3. Connecticut: $61,480

  4. Hawaii: $59,230

  5. Massachusetts: $57,310

Experience-Based Salary for Diesel Mechanics

As you know, the pay is not entirely based on the career you choose but also mainly experience is considered. So, if you are not a beginner and have some experience in this field, we have covered you as well. An entry-level diesel mechanic with less than one year of experience can earn up to $15.81 per hour based on the data collected from 102 salaries. A diesel mechanic with experience of one to four years can earn up to $18.92 based on 1,572 salaries. Increasing the experience level will definitely increase the pay rate, and five to nine years of experience can help earn around 421.75 based on 1.118 salaries. If we jump to the most experienced or senior diesel mechanic, he can earn up to $25 with 20 years of experience. Overall, these pays per hour can give you a clear idea of how much a diesel mechanic can earn.

Common Skills for Diesel Mechanics

There’s a change in rates per hour based on the skill you provide as it requires different levels of work for each skill. That’s why it is important to list some common and famous skills for diesel mechanics who are paid relatively higher. Here’s the list of some common skills that are paid relatively more than others.

  1. Maintenance

  2. Troubleshooting

  3. Electronic Troubleshooting

  4. Heavy Equipment Repair

  5. System Repair

From the above-mentioned skills, electronic troubleshooting and troubleshooting are the highest-paid skills based on the work nature or demand. The other three skills are paid relatively less due to many possible reasons. There are some skills that can affect your salary in a good way. We recommend learning these skills side by side in your career if you are interested in getting increments. Here’s the list.

  1. Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) Welding

  2. Electronic Troubleshooting

  3. Heavy Duty Truck Repair

  4. Paccar Engine Repair

  5. Systems Troubleshooting

  6. Aluminum Welding

Careers as a Diesel Mechanic

Before going into the diesel mechanic career, you need to know about your future careers where you can move based on your experience and learned skills. So, money is not the only thing you need to consider before selecting this profession. A diesel mechanic can choose three main, further career paths.

  1. Heavy Equipment Mechanic

  2. Diesel Shop Foreman / Mechanic

  3. Diesel Technician

Once you get here, there’s no end to this career. Each of the following mentioned careers is sub-categorized into other three paths to become more expert and specialist in a specific area. Overall, you have many opportunities in choosing a career and a vast field to go into, which is a good factor for a mechanic enthusiast.

Diesel Mechanic Tools for More Productivity

Tools are everything you need at work that can help in making your day productive or worse. That’s why you need to pay special attention while choosing the right tools that you find suitable to work with. In the end, using the perfect tools can help you earn more money by offering precise and efficient work besides keeping you safe. That’s why we came up with a list of tools that you must consider at work that can boost your salary and keep you safe as well.

  1. Feeler Gauges

  2. Punches

  3. Wrenches

  4. Torque Bit Drivers

  5. Screwdrivers

  6. Mechanic Boots

  7. Ratchets

  8. Hammers

  9. Allen Drivers

  10. Adapters

Last Words

Many factors play an essential role in deciding the correct amount that a diesel mechanic makes every year. Still, we managed to gather enough data to determine if you are choosing a profession as a diesel mechanic. Also, selecting the right career path further in a mechanic is also crucial besides working at the right place and using the right tools.