So you like to get down and dirty, huh? We're talking strictly about anything with a diesel engine, so get your mind out of the gutter! A diesel mechanic is trained specifically to inspect, repair and overhaul any diesel-run vehicle.
The job can be noisy as some of the machines you'll be working with will be loud. Mostly you'll just be working full-time, but don't be surprised if you end up working overtime or a night shift. If you don't mind getting a little grease on your hands, then you'll fit right in. Of course, after you're certified or have attended a training program.
Diesel Mechanic Overview
Diesel Mechanic Careers
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a diesel mechanic. For example, did you know that they make an average of $21.13 an hour? That's $43,943 a year!
Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 5% and produce 13,800 job opportunities across the U.S.
What Does a Diesel Mechanic Do
There are certain skills that many diesel mechanics have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed customer-service skills, detail oriented and dexterity.
When it comes to the most important skills required to be a diesel mechanic, we found that a lot of resumes listed 20.8% of diesel mechanics included cdl, while 12.2% of resumes included preventive maintenance, and 11.8% of resumes included dot. Hard skills like these are helpful to have when it comes to performing essential job responsibilities.
When it comes to searching for a job, many search for a key term or phrase. Instead, it might be more helpful to search by industry, as you might be missing jobs that you never thought about in industries that you didn't even think offered positions related to the diesel mechanic job title. But what industry to start with? Most diesel mechanics actually find jobs in the transportation and retail industries.
How To Become a Diesel Mechanic
If you're interested in becoming a diesel mechanic, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 6.4% of diesel mechanics have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 0.8% of diesel mechanics have master's degrees. Even though some diesel mechanics have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a diesel mechanic. When we researched the most common majors for a diesel mechanic, we found that they most commonly earn high school diploma degrees or associate degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on diesel mechanic resumes include diploma degrees or bachelor's degree degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become a diesel mechanic. In fact, many diesel mechanic jobs require experience in a role such as mechanic. Meanwhile, many diesel mechanics also have previous career experience in roles such as diesel technician or technician.
What is the right job for my career path?
Tell us your goals and we'll match you with the right jobs to get there.
Diesel Mechanic Career Paths
As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a diesel mechanic can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as technician, progress to a title such as team leader and then eventually end up with the title service manager.
Diesel Mechanic
Service Manager
6 Years
Maintenance Manager
9 Years
Maintenance Supervisor
7 Years
General Contractor
5 Years
Senior Service Technician
6 Years
Lead Mechanic
6 Years
Show More
What is the right job for my career path?
Tell us your goals and we'll match you with the rights job to get there.
Average Salary for a Diesel Mechanic
Diesel Mechanics in America make an average salary of $43,943 per year or $21 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $58,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $33,000 per year.
Average Salary
$43,943
Best Paying Cities
City
Average Salary
$33k
$62k
Recently Added Salaries
Job TitleCompany  | Company | Start Date | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
True North Equipment Diesel Mechanics-Service Manager Positions Available Diesel Mechanics-Service Manager Positions Available | True North Equipment True North Equipment | 01/31/2021 01/31/2021 | $39,65301/31/2021 $39,653 |
First Vehicle Services Diesel Mechanic Diesel Mechanic | First Vehicle Services First Vehicle Services | 01/31/2021 01/31/2021 | $54,26201/31/2021 $54,262 |
True North Equipment Diesel Mechanics-Service Manager Positions Available Diesel Mechanics-Service Manager Positions Available | True North Equipment True North Equipment | 01/31/2021 01/31/2021 | $39,65301/31/2021 $39,653 |
Transdevna Diesel Mechanic A Diesel Mechanic A | Transdevna Transdevna | 01/29/2021 01/29/2021 | $74,50601/29/2021 $74,506 |
Ryder System Diesel Mechanic Technician-Weekends OFF! Diesel Mechanic Technician-Weekends OFF! | Ryder System Ryder System | 01/29/2021 01/29/2021 | $44,87101/29/2021 $44,871 |
Calculate your salary
Use Zippia's Salary Calculator to see how your pay matches up.
Diesel Mechanic Resumes
Designing and figuring out what to include on your resume can be tough, not to mention time-consuming. That's why we put together a guide that is designed to help you craft the perfect resume for becoming a Diesel Mechanic. If you're needing extra inspiration, take a look through our selection of templates that are specific to your job.
Learn How To Write a Diesel Mechanic Resume
At Zippia, we went through countless Diesel Mechanic resumes and compiled some information about how best to optimize them. Here are some suggestions based on what we found, divided by the individual sections of the resume itself.
View Detailed InformationJob type you want
Full Time
Part Time
Internship
Temporary
Top Skills For a Diesel Mechanic
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 20.8% of diesel mechanics listed cdl on their resume, but soft skills such as customer-service skills and detail oriented are important as well.
- CDL, 20.8%
- Preventive Maintenance, 12.2%
- DOT, 11.8%
- Hand Tools, 9.2%
- Heavy Equipment, 6.7%
- Other Skills, 39.3% See All Diesel Mechanic Skills
Best States For a Diesel Mechanic
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a diesel mechanic. The best states for people in this position are Alaska, Nevada, Vermont, and Washington. Diesel mechanics make the most in Alaska with an average salary of $54,949. Whereas in Nevada and Vermont, they would average $54,403 and $53,376, respectively. While diesel mechanics would only make an average of $52,432 in Washington, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Nevada
Total Diesel Mechanic Jobs:
302
Highest 10% Earn:
$81,000
Location Quotient:
1.25
Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here
$54,403
Avg. Salary
2. Vermont
Total Diesel Mechanic Jobs:
98
Highest 10% Earn:
$75,000
Location Quotient:
1.1
Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here
$53,376
Avg. Salary
3. Alaska
Total Diesel Mechanic Jobs:
125
Highest 10% Earn:
$61,000
Location Quotient:
1.29
Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here
$54,949
Avg. Salary
How Do Diesel Mechanic Rate Their Jobs?
5.0
Tech • August 2019
5.0
Tech • August 2019What do you like the most about working as Diesel Mechanic?
The job have always wanted to do it been doing it 5 years now like that I can make trucks come back to life Show MoreTop Diesel Mechanic Employers
Diesel Mechanic Videos
What A Day As A Mechanic Looks Like ~Time Lapse Video
A Day in the Life" of a Heavy Vehicle Technician"