Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists

Pay and outlook

Median annual wage, May 2025

$61,770

Half earn more, half earn less

Middle half earn

$50,540 – $75,470

25th to 75th percentile

People employed, May 2025

289,960

Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)

Projected change, 2025–35

+3.6%

At or above the all-jobs rate (3.5% to under 7%)

Openings a year (projected)

24,400

New jobs plus replacing people who leave

Typical education to enter

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS

• All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
• Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
• Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.

What the work involves

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.

Main tasks

• 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.
• Inspect brake systems, steering mechanisms, wheel bearings, and other important parts to ensure that they are in proper operating condition.
• Raise trucks, buses, and heavy parts or equipment using hydraulic jacks or hoists.
• Adjust and reline brakes, align wheels, tighten bolts and screws, and reassemble equipment.
• Attach test instruments to equipment, and read dials and gauges to diagnose malfunctions.
• Perform routine maintenance such as changing oil, checking batteries, and lubricating equipment and machinery.
• Examine and adjust protective guards, loose bolts, and specified safety devices.
• Inspect, test, and listen to defective equipment to diagnose malfunctions, using test instruments such as handheld computers, motor analyzers, chassis charts, or pressure gauges.

Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.

Getting in

Typical education to enter (BLS)

High school diploma or equivalent

Training once hired: long-term on-the-job training

O*NET Job Zone 3

Medium preparation

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Fields of study that lead here

From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 2 programmes to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.

Related careers

Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.

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• Rail Car Repairers

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• Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics

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• Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians

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• Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics

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• Engine and Other Machine Assemblers

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