BLS data, computed here
Diesel mechanic wages by state, next to your shop rate
BLS publishes what employers pay bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists in every state. This page sets those wages next to what you pay an outside shop and works out when an in-house mechanic starts to pay for themselves.
May 2025 estimatesBLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, SOC 49-3031, statesReference period May 2025, all industriesRetrieved Oct 10, 2026, 10:00 UTCretrieved Oct 10, 2026
Read this first
These are wages employers paid mechanics in the whole state in May 2025, all kinds of shops and fleets, not the rate a shop charges and not what you would have to offer a hire today. Burden and productive share in the form are your own estimates. The comparison leaves out tools, space, parts, training and the cost of finding a mechanic.
When does an in-house mechanic pay off?
Pick your state and pay level, then enter what you pay an outside shop and how many labor hours you buy a year.
Median diesel mechanic wage by state
- below $28.27
- $28.27 to below $29.07
- $29.07 to below $30.02
- $30.02 to below $32.89
- $32.89 or more
- not published
Colours are quintiles of the published states (median dollars per hour). Select a state tile to set the form below.
Ten highest and ten lowest states
Median hourly wage, May 2025. Left ten bars are the highest states, right ten the lowest.
Pre-filled values are Example data. Replace them with your own.
One mechanic in house, per productive hour
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- Wage used
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- Cost of one mechanic a year (2,080 paid hours)
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- Productive hours a mechanic gives you
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- Outside shop spend on your hours
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- Mechanics needed for your hours
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- In-house cost for your hours
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- Difference, outside minus in-house
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- Break-even shop hours a year for one mechanic
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Enter your costs.
Formulas: cost per productive hour = wage x (100 + burden) / productive share. One mechanic a year = wage x 2,080 x (100 + burden) / 100. Mechanics needed = your hours / productive hours, rounded up. Break-even hours = cost of one mechanic / your outside rate. It leaves out parts, tools to buy, space, a lift, and the cost of finding someone. Integer cents, half up. Nothing you type leaves this page.
All 50 states and D.C.
Click a heading to sort. Hourly figures are dollars per hour; the last column applies the example burden and productive share to the median.
| State | Mechanics | Mean per hour | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile | 90th percentile | Annual mean | Median vs U.S. | Cost per productive hour at example terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 6,130 | $26.02 | $22.09 | $24.26 | $29.34 | $36.37 | $54,120 | -18.3% | $39.42 |
| Alaska | 860 | $35.85 | $30.02 | $36.34 | $40.00 | $47.41 | $74,580 | +22.4% | $59.05 |
| Arizona | 5,140 | $30.68 | $24.56 | $29.65 | $35.73 | $40.56 | $63,820 | -0.2% | $48.18 |
| Arkansas | 4,090 | $26.08 | $22.16 | $25.16 | $29.30 | $33.30 | $54,250 | -15.3% | $40.89 |
| California | 20,940 | $34.95 | $28.90 | $35.55 | $40.74 | $46.50 | $72,690 | +19.7% | $57.77 |
| Colorado | 4,600 | $34.14 | $28.51 | $33.89 | $38.36 | $46.37 | $71,010 | +14.1% | $55.07 |
| Connecticut | 2,860 | $33.75 | $28.99 | $32.36 | $39.02 | $46.74 | $70,200 | +9.0% | $52.59 |
| Delaware | 670 | $31.60 | $26.09 | $30.57 | $35.76 | $39.74 | $65,730 | +2.9% | $49.68 |
| District of Columbia | 110 | $33.60 | $28.58 | $31.34 | $36.53 | $44.73 | $69,880 | +5.5% | $50.93 |
| Florida | 14,900 | $30.17 | $23.90 | $29.08 | $35.53 | $38.08 | $62,750 | -2.1% | $47.26 |
| Georgia | 10,910 | $30.88 | $24.77 | $29.50 | $36.22 | $40.99 | $64,230 | -0.7% | $47.94 |
| Hawaii | 690 | $36.89 | $30.22 | $38.50 | $40.89 | $48.34 | $76,730 | +29.6% | $62.56 |
| Idaho | 1,930 | $28.90 | $23.43 | $28.48 | $33.35 | $37.41 | $60,110 | -4.1% | $46.28 |
| Illinois | 11,320 | $33.28 | $25.79 | $30.93 | $38.77 | $46.96 | $69,220 | +4.1% | $50.26 |
| Indiana | 8,840 | $29.42 | $23.69 | $29.14 | $34.04 | $38.33 | $61,200 | -1.9% | $47.35 |
| Iowa | 4,140 | $29.28 | $23.45 | $28.69 | $34.41 | $38.50 | $60,900 | -3.4% | $46.62 |
| Kansas | 3,300 | $29.45 | $23.50 | $28.59 | $34.34 | $38.94 | $61,260 | -3.7% | $46.46 |
| Kentucky | 3,890 | $27.58 | $22.38 | $26.67 | $30.64 | $38.70 | $57,370 | -10.2% | $43.34 |
| Louisiana | 3,270 | $28.33 | $22.50 | $28.21 | $33.22 | $38.06 | $58,930 | -5.0% | $45.84 |
| Maine | 1,380 | $29.92 | $24.56 | $29.26 | $35.03 | $38.20 | $62,230 | -1.5% | $47.55 |
| Maryland | 3,030 | $35.24 | $29.29 | $35.96 | $40.47 | $47.02 | $73,300 | +21.1% | $58.44 |
| Massachusetts | 4,870 | $35.40 | $28.81 | $35.23 | $40.58 | $47.82 | $73,640 | +18.6% | $57.25 |
| Michigan | 9,020 | $29.87 | $24.66 | $29.53 | $32.43 | $38.95 | $62,140 | -0.6% | $47.99 |
| Minnesota | 7,300 | $33.33 | $28.60 | $32.14 | $37.79 | $43.52 | $69,320 | +8.2% | $52.23 |
| Mississippi | 3,140 | $27.24 | $21.21 | $26.14 | $31.44 | $39.43 | $56,670 | -12.0% | $42.48 |
| Missouri | 6,780 | $29.21 | $23.11 | $28.54 | $33.17 | $39.65 | $60,750 | -3.9% | $46.38 |
| Montana | 1,230 | $29.30 | $24.83 | $28.84 | $34.22 | $37.35 | $60,940 | -2.9% | $46.87 |
| Nebraska | 2,720 | $28.74 | $23.76 | $28.44 | $31.35 | $38.18 | $59,790 | -4.2% | $46.22 |
| Nevada | 1,990 | $34.31 | $28.00 | $32.89 | $38.92 | $46.98 | $71,370 | +10.7% | $53.45 |
| New Hampshire | 1,040 | $35.03 | $29.06 | $34.32 | $39.76 | $47.88 | $72,860 | +15.6% | $55.77 |
| New Jersey | 8,160 | $34.07 | $28.72 | $34.78 | $38.39 | $45.27 | $70,860 | +17.1% | $56.52 |
| New Mexico | 1,740 | $28.68 | $22.86 | $26.88 | $32.16 | $40.03 | $59,650 | -9.5% | $43.68 |
| New York | 13,230 | $34.01 | $28.09 | $33.70 | $41.56 | $43.31 | $70,740 | +13.5% | $54.76 |
| North Carolina | 11,070 | $27.84 | $23.10 | $27.64 | $31.14 | $36.65 | $57,910 | -6.9% | $44.92 |
| North Dakota | 1,790 | $32.98 | $27.92 | $31.78 | $38.99 | $44.00 | $68,600 | +7.0% | $51.64 |
| Ohio | 14,240 | $29.42 | $24.37 | $29.07 | $33.31 | $37.56 | $61,190 | -2.1% | $47.24 |
| Oklahoma | 3,970 | $26.76 | $22.27 | $26.61 | $30.09 | $36.60 | $55,650 | -10.4% | $43.24 |
| Oregon | 3,770 | $32.34 | $27.69 | $30.76 | $36.94 | $43.61 | $67,270 | +3.6% | $49.99 |
| Pennsylvania | 12,630 | $30.14 | $24.55 | $29.68 | $35.10 | $38.67 | $62,680 | -0.1% | $48.23 |
| Rhode Island | 350 | $33.33 | $29.15 | $32.34 | $37.30 | $41.07 | $69,320 | +8.9% | $52.55 |
| South Carolina | 3,360 | $28.39 | $23.32 | $28.53 | $31.58 | $36.86 | $59,050 | -3.9% | $46.36 |
| South Dakota | 1,340 | $28.60 | $23.83 | $27.94 | $31.35 | $37.89 | $59,480 | -5.9% | $45.40 |
| Tennessee | 5,720 | $29.13 | $23.40 | $28.46 | $34.43 | $38.74 | $60,590 | -4.2% | $46.25 |
| Texas | 29,870 | $29.10 | $22.85 | $28.27 | $33.84 | $39.26 | $60,530 | -4.8% | $45.94 |
| Utah | 2,690 | $31.21 | $27.62 | $30.94 | $36.02 | $39.97 | $64,930 | +4.2% | $50.28 |
| Vermont | 550 | $30.71 | $24.00 | $28.55 | $36.52 | $40.41 | $63,890 | -3.9% | $46.39 |
| Virginia | 8,070 | $29.61 | $24.44 | $29.37 | $33.87 | $38.05 | $61,590 | -1.1% | $47.73 |
| Washington | 7,410 | $37.88 | $30.62 | $37.45 | $44.66 | $49.42 | $78,790 | +26.1% | $60.86 |
| West Virginia | 1,040 | $25.33 | $18.11 | $22.41 | $30.02 | $37.72 | $52,690 | -24.5% | $36.42 |
| Wisconsin | 6,750 | $30.84 | $25.02 | $30.02 | $35.96 | $39.52 | $64,150 | +1.1% | $48.78 |
| Wyoming | 1,100 | $30.64 | $25.99 | $29.61 | $35.55 | $38.66 | $63,740 | -0.3% | $48.12 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, retrieved Oct 10, 2026. Median vs U.S. compares the state median with the U.S. median of $29.70. Last column = median x (100 + 30) / 80, in dollars per productive hour; the 30% and 80% are examples.
What this number means
- The wage is the floor of your in-house cost. Payroll taxes, benefits and unproductive hours push the real cost per repair hour far above it.
- The spread between states is wide enough to matter for where you base maintenance, but a state average hides the gap between a metro and a small town.
- A mechanic who is busy only part of the year costs the same as one who is busy all year. The break-even hours tell you how much work you must have first.
What to do about it
- Take your last twelve months of outside labor invoices and add the hours. If they sit well below the break-even figure, keep buying outside.
- If they sit above it, price a hire in your own market with the 75th percentile, since the best candidates ask for more than the median.
- Count the downtime too. A truck waiting a day for a shop slot costs money that no wage table shows.
Questions
Who is counted as a diesel mechanic?
The BLS occupation is Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists, SOC 49-3031. It covers people who diagnose and repair the engines and other systems of trucks and buses, in every kind of employer: dealers, independent shops, fleets and government. The wage is what employers pay, not what a shop charges per hour.
Is this my shop labor rate?
No. A shop charges more than it pays: its rate covers the mechanic's pay plus payroll taxes, benefits, tools, space, parts handling and profit. The form on this page takes the wage as a floor for your own in-house cost and compares it with the rate you actually pay an outside shop.
What do burden and productive share mean?
Burden is the extra cost on top of wages: payroll taxes, insurance, benefits, tools and training, as a percent of the wage. Productive share is the part of paid hours spent actually repairing trucks, after breaks, training, cleaning and waiting for parts. Both are your own numbers; the pre-filled 30% and 80% are examples, not BLS figures.
Why is the median used?
The median is the middle wage: half of mechanics earn less. It is less pulled by a few high earners than the mean. The form lets you pick the 25th percentile, median, mean or 75th percentile, and the table shows all of them.
How current is it?
The estimates are the BLS May 2025 reference period, published in 2026, and the snapshot was retrieved Oct 10, 2026. Wages move; a mechanic you hire today may ask for more than a figure from May 2025.
Related guides and tools
- Driver pay by metro: BLS wages for tractor-trailer drivers
- Detention cost by state: driver pay for an hour of waiting
- Cost per mile: put maintenance in your cost
- Cost line escalator: how parts and pay indexes moved
- Truck downtime cost per day: what a day in the shop costs
- Intelligence hub: all open-data pages
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