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Diesel mechanic apprenticeships: what they pay, state by state
U.S. Department of Labor records list 942 registered apprentices active across the 50 states and the District of Columbia 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 (October 2022 to September 2023) the median starting wage of registered apprentices was $20.00 an hour in California, the one state where 50 or more apprentices carry a starting wage DOL counts.
Apprentice counts and wages by state
The most are in California (185), Florida (70), Ohio (69), Michigan (66), Indiana (65). Among the apprentices who completed in fiscal 2023, the median wage at completion was $34.00 an hour in South Carolina, the one state with 50 or more exit wages DOL counts. A median is shown only where 50 or more apprentices carry the wage; the counts are shown for every state with an active apprentice in fiscal 2024.
| State | Active, fiscal 2024 | Started, fiscal 2023 | Median starting wage | Median completing wage | BLS median, May 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 185 | 56 | $20.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $35.55 |
| Florida | 70 | 29 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.08 |
| Ohio | 69 | 39 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.07 |
| Michigan | 66 | 27 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.53 |
| Indiana | 65 | 25 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.14 |
| Alaska | 64 | 19 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $36.34 |
| Iowa | 56 | 21 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $28.69 |
| Nevada | 51 | 21 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $32.89 |
| Maine | 33 | 2 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.26 |
| South Carolina | 33 | 4 | fewer than 50 wages | $34.00 | $28.53 |
| Virginia | 23 | 8 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.37 |
| Texas | 19 | 11 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $28.27 |
| Nebraska | 17 | 4 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $28.44 |
| Kentucky | 16 | 7 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $26.67 |
| New Jersey | 16 | 9 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $34.78 |
| Minnesota | 15 | 7 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $32.14 |
| Washington | 15 | 6 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $37.45 |
| Illinois | 14 | 4 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $30.93 |
| Tennessee | 14 | 7 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $28.46 |
| Idaho | 13 | 8 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $28.48 |
| New Hampshire | 11 | 3 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $34.32 |
| Georgia | 9 | 3 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.50 |
| Hawaii | 8 | 2 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $38.50 |
| Wisconsin | 8 | 5 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $30.02 |
| Arizona | 6 | 2 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.65 |
| Maryland | 4 | 1 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $35.96 |
| New York | 4 | 2 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $33.70 |
| North Dakota | 4 | 0 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $31.78 |
| Colorado | 3 | 0 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $33.89 |
| Missouri | 3 | 3 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $28.54 |
| New Mexico | 3 | 2 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $26.88 |
| Utah | 3 | 1 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $30.94 |
| Wyoming | 3 | 2 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.61 |
| Kansas | 2 | 1 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $28.59 |
| Louisiana | 2 | 2 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $28.21 |
| Mississippi | 2 | 4 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $26.14 |
| North Carolina | 2 | 0 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $27.64 |
| Oregon | 2 | 1 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $30.76 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | 1 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.68 |
| West Virginia | 2 | 0 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $22.41 |
| Alabama | 1 | 0 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $24.26 |
| Connecticut | 1 | 1 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $32.36 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 0 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $35.23 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 1 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $26.61 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 0 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $27.94 |
Hourly wages, most active apprentices first. The starting wage is the median across the apprentices who started in fiscal 2023 and the completing wage the median across those who completed it: two groups of people. The BLS figure is the wage survey's median for the occupation in the state, a different source and a different period, so read the two side by side and not as a ratio. Which wages DOL counts and how the state is assigned are on the data page. As a file: every trade and state with an active apprentice (CSV).
What those wages come to a week and a year, at your hours →
The BLS Handbook's account of how diesel mechanics train (Occupational Outlook Handbook: Diesel Service Technicians and Mechanics, read 2026-09-23) does not describe an apprenticeship; its steps are on How to become a diesel mechanic. Registered programs are listed on DOL's Apprenticeship Finder.
Common questions
How much do apprentice diesel mechanics make?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023) the median starting wage of registered apprentices was $20.00 an hour in California, the one state where 50 or more apprentices carry a starting wage DOL counts. Among the apprentices who completed in fiscal 2023, the median wage at completion was $34.00 an hour in South Carolina, the one state with 50 or more exit wages DOL counts. The starters and the completers are different people, and the wages are in that year's dollars.
How many apprentice diesel mechanics are there?
U.S. Department of Labor records list 942 registered apprentices active across the 50 states and the District of Columbia 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. The most are in California (185), Florida (70), Ohio (69), Michigan (66), Indiana (65).
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration: Apprenticeship Participant Characteristics and Training Outcomes (the dataset), retrieved 2026-09-24: every apprentice count and apprentice wage. Titles counted for this trade: DIESEL MECHANIC (Alternate Title: Power-Generation Equipment Repairer); Diesel Mechanic; MAINT MECHANIC (Const; Petrol) (Alternate Title: Heavy-Wheel Vehicle Mechanic ); MECHANIC, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK (Alternate Titles: Diesel Mech/Power-Gen Equip Rep); OIL FIELD EQUIP MECHANIC(Op I Frac-Acd; Oil Field Equip Mechanic; TRACTOR MECHANIC.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, retrieved 2026-10-03: the median for the occupation, $61,770 a year nationally. How the numbers are built.
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