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Diesel mechanics in California: what they earn
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists in California earned a median $73,950 a year in May 2025, $35.55 an hour. 20,940 people held the job, 1.1 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 20% above the national figure of $61,770, and California ranks 5 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in California
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.68 | $47,180 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $28.90 | $60,110 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $35.55 | $73,950 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $40.74 | $84,740 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $46.50 | $96,730 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $34.95 | $72,690 | The average. Pulled up by the top earners. |
Annual figures are the hourly rate times 2,080 hours, BLS's full-time year. Overtime is inside the survey's earnings but not separated out.
Pay by metro area in California
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA employs the most diesel mechanics of the 25 metro areas based in California that BLS publishes, 6,520, at a median $77,380 a year. The best-paid is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $88,980.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 6,520 | $77,380 | $48,550 | $95,760 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 3,400 | $71,300 | $46,890 | $89,570 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 1,730 | $82,100 | $48,900 | $105,550 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 1,430 | $75,070 | $51,370 | $95,520 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 1,190 | $72,660 | $48,710 | $94,410 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 860 | $63,520 | $39,120 | $85,870 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 760 | $70,410 | $46,990 | $90,170 |
| Fresno, CA | 720 | $65,210 | $44,510 | $96,210 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 720 | $88,980 | $56,550 | $113,440 |
| Modesto, CA | 420 | $76,640 | $47,740 | $97,980 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 350 | $74,730 | $51,440 | $97,160 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 240 | $68,410 | $48,220 | $99,700 |
| Visalia, CA | 240 | $66,610 | $44,210 | $82,090 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 210 | $70,060 | $38,360 | $93,040 |
| Salinas, CA | 200 | $63,840 | $38,730 | $93,770 |
| Vallejo, CA | 200 | $75,500 | $49,490 | $100,300 |
| El Centro, CA | 140 | $70,360 | $36,480 | $97,650 |
| Merced, CA | 120 | $62,970 | $45,930 | $89,880 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 120 | $74,620 | $47,090 | $91,320 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 110 | $60,940 | $35,620 | $91,000 |
| Chico, CA | 100 | $55,770 | $45,790 | $87,220 |
| Redding, CA | 100 | $65,710 | $36,220 | $90,890 |
| Yuba City, CA | 100 | $62,080 | $45,860 | $81,310 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 90 | $75,670 | $56,510 | $99,330 |
| Napa, CA | 60 | $78,070 | $51,160 | $103,950 |
Metropolitan statistical areas as BLS publishes them in the same May 2025 estimates. A metro that crosses a state line is listed only under its primary state, so part of a neighboring state's metro can sit outside this table. Areas outside any metro are not shown.
California against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Washington | $77,900 | 7,410 |
| 3 | Alaska | $75,580 | 860 |
| 4 | Maryland | $74,790 | 3,030 |
| 5 | California | $73,950 | 20,940 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $73,270 | 4,870 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $72,340 | 8,160 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $71,390 | 1,040 |
The complete ranking is on the Diesel mechanics page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | California | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $73,950 | $61,770 |
| Median hourly | $35.55 | $29.70 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $47,180 | $44,530 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $96,730 | $88,740 |
| Employed | 20,940 | 289,960 |
Apprenticeships in California
U.S. Department of Labor records list 185 registered apprentices active in California in fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) under the occupation titles DOL maps to bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists (SOC 49-3031). The file's fiscal 2024 records largely stop after February 2024. In fiscal 2023, the latest year the file holds in full, 56 apprentices started, at a median $20.00 an hour across the 56 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 42 have an exit wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs.
Find a registered program: DOL's Apprenticeship Finder → · What those wages come to at your hours a week → · Every state's count and wages for this trade →
Wages are DOL's own hourly figures in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Which wages DOL counts, which titles count and how the state is assigned are on the data page.
Other trades in California
Electricians ($76,160) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($72,830) · HVAC technicians ($72,560) · Welders ($58,060) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($60,230) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($129,040) · Elevator installers ($141,180) · Ironworkers ($76,370) · Sheet metal workers ($76,590) · Carpenters ($75,920) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($69,050) · Auto service technicians ($64,980) · Heavy equipment operators ($87,160) · Machinists ($57,190)
See all 15 ranked by pay in California.
No state licensing records are sourced here for diesel mechanics. The steps into the trade are on the Diesel mechanics page. Numbers on this page are the May 2025 BLS estimates, apart from the apprenticeship figures, which are DOL's; see how the numbers are built.