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Diesel Technician

Keep trucks, buses, and heavy equipment running by servicing diesel engines.

What it pays in the U.S.

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.

Median pay (national)$61,770about $29.70 an hour
Typical range$44,530 – $88,740lowest to highest tenth of earners
Usual way inHigh school diploma or equivalentthen more than 1 year on-the-job training

Wage figures are 2025 survey data for United States, shown nationally because no state figure was reported. They describe what people in this job earn now, not what any one person will be offered.

Demand in United States

Employment is projected to change 2% between 2024 and 2034. About 26,500 openings are projected each year.

What the work actually is

  • Maintain or repair vehicles with alternative fuel systems, including biodiesel, hybrid, or compressed natural gas vehicles.
  • Rebuild gas or diesel engines.
  • Repair or adjust seats, doors, or windows.
  • Attach test instruments to equipment, and read dials and gauges to diagnose malfunctions.
  • Adjust and reline brakes, align wheels, tighten bolts and screws, and reassemble equipment.
  • 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.

Read the full Occupational Outlook Handbook entry from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Licensing, by state

Licensing is set by each state, so there is no national answer. Choose a state above to see which licenses it requires for this career, or look one up with the CareerOneStop License Finder.

Certifications employers recognize

These are national certifications, issued by industry bodies rather than a state. Most are optional, but they are how you prove skill to an employer.

Apprenticeships, by state

Registered apprenticeships pay you while you train. Each state runs its own registration office, which is where to start when you want to find an open program.

Choose a state above to see the offices that register apprenticeships there.

Search open programs directly at apprenticeship.gov.

Now find the schools.

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