SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 49-3031.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $44,530 | $3,711 | $856 | $21.41 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $50,540 | $4,212 | $972 | $24.30 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $61,770 | $5,148 | $1,188 | $29.70 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $75,470 | $6,289 | $1,451 | $36.29 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $88,740 | $7,395 | $1,707 | $42.66 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists is $61,770, which is 21% higher. Among the 51 occupations of the field Installation, Maintenance, and Repair, it ranks number 22 by median pay. With 289,960 jobs, it makes up about 19 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists pay by state
The highest median pay was in Hawaii ($80,080), Washington ($77,900) and Alaska ($75,580). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($40,110), West Virginia ($46,610) and Alabama ($50,470). The most jobs were in Texas (29,870), California (20,940) and Florida (14,900). The occupation is most concentrated in North Dakota, where its share of all jobs is 2.2 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 690 | $80,080 | $76,730 | $38.50 |
| Washington | 7,410 | $77,900 | $78,790 | $37.45 |
| Alaska | 860 | $75,580 | $74,580 | $36.34 |
| Maryland | 3,030 | $74,790 | $73,300 | $35.96 |
| California | 20,940 | $73,950 | $72,690 | $35.55 |
| Massachusetts | 4,870 | $73,270 | $73,640 | $35.23 |
| New Jersey | 8,160 | $72,340 | $70,860 | $34.78 |
| New Hampshire | 1,040 | $71,390 | $72,860 | $34.32 |
| Colorado | 4,600 | $70,480 | $71,010 | $33.89 |
| New York | 13,230 | $70,100 | $70,740 | $33.70 |
| Nevada | 1,990 | $68,410 | $71,370 | $32.89 |
| Connecticut | 2,860 | $67,300 | $70,200 | $32.36 |
| Rhode Island | 350 | $67,270 | $69,320 | $32.34 |
| Minnesota | 7,300 | $66,840 | $69,320 | $32.14 |
| North Dakota | 1,790 | $66,110 | $68,600 | $31.78 |
| District of Columbia | 110 | $65,200 | $69,880 | $31.34 |
| Utah | 2,690 | $64,350 | $64,930 | $30.94 |
| Illinois | 11,320 | $64,340 | $69,220 | $30.93 |
| Oregon | 3,770 | $63,970 | $67,270 | $30.76 |
| Delaware | 670 | $63,590 | $65,730 | $30.57 |
| Wisconsin | 6,750 | $62,450 | $64,150 | $30.02 |
| Pennsylvania | 12,630 | $61,740 | $62,680 | $29.68 |
| Arizona | 5,140 | $61,680 | $63,820 | $29.65 |
| Wyoming | 1,100 | $61,580 | $63,740 | $29.61 |
| Michigan | 9,020 | $61,420 | $62,140 | $29.53 |
| Georgia | 10,910 | $61,370 | $64,230 | $29.50 |
| Virginia | 8,070 | $61,090 | $61,590 | $29.37 |
| Maine | 1,380 | $60,850 | $62,230 | $29.26 |
| Indiana | 8,840 | $60,610 | $61,200 | $29.14 |
| Florida | 14,900 | $60,490 | $62,750 | $29.08 |
| Ohio | 14,240 | $60,470 | $61,190 | $29.07 |
| Montana | 1,230 | $59,990 | $60,940 | $28.84 |
| Iowa | 4,140 | $59,680 | $60,900 | $28.69 |
| Kansas | 3,300 | $59,460 | $61,260 | $28.59 |
| Vermont | 550 | $59,390 | $63,890 | $28.55 |
| Missouri | 6,780 | $59,360 | $60,750 | $28.54 |
| South Carolina | 3,360 | $59,330 | $59,050 | $28.53 |
| Idaho | 1,930 | $59,230 | $60,110 | $28.48 |
| Tennessee | 5,720 | $59,190 | $60,590 | $28.46 |
| Nebraska | 2,720 | $59,140 | $59,790 | $28.44 |
| Texas | 29,870 | $58,810 | $60,530 | $28.27 |
| Louisiana | 3,270 | $58,680 | $58,930 | $28.21 |
| South Dakota | 1,340 | $58,120 | $59,480 | $27.94 |
| North Carolina | 11,070 | $57,490 | $57,910 | $27.64 |
| New Mexico | 1,740 | $55,910 | $59,650 | $26.88 |
| Kentucky | 3,890 | $55,480 | $57,370 | $26.67 |
| Oklahoma | 3,970 | $55,340 | $55,650 | $26.61 |
| Mississippi | 3,140 | $54,360 | $56,670 | $26.14 |
| Arkansas | 4,090 | $52,330 | $54,250 | $25.16 |
| Guam | 30 | $51,720 | $49,610 | $24.86 |
| Alabama | 6,130 | $50,470 | $54,120 | $24.26 |
| West Virginia | 1,040 | $46,610 | $52,690 | $22.41 |
| Puerto Rico | 930 | $40,110 | $44,960 | $19.28 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
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Common questions
How much do Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists earn in the United States?
The median pay was $61,770 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $44,530 and the highest-paid 10% more than $88,740.
How many people work as Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists?
About 289,960 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.