Careers / Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
Opens your browser print dialog — choose “Save as PDF”.
Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$61,770
United States, 2025
Employment
289,960
United States, 2025
Typical education
Post-Secondary Certificate
Job Zone 3
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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.
- O*NET code
- 49-3031.00
- Job zone
- 3
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical 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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$44,530
25th percentile
$50,540
75th percentile
$75,470
90th percentile
$88,740
Most important skills
- Repairing4.0
- Troubleshooting4.0
- Operations Monitoring3.5
- Equipment Maintenance3.4
- Quality Control Analysis3.3
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Speaking3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Equipment Selection3.1
- Active Listening3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 14 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
14
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Repairing | 4.0 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Troubleshooting | 4.0 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.4 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.5 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.3 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Speaking | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Equipment Selection | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Operation and Control | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $56,450
Compare with Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine SpecialistsSupplemental
National median $109,530
Compare with Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine SpecialistsSupplemental
National median $74,340
Compare with Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine SpecialistsSupplemental
National median $68,840
Compare with Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine SpecialistsSupplemental
National median $65,700
Compare with Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine SpecialistsSupplemental
National median $60,850
Compare with Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine SpecialistsSupplemental
National median $64,520
Compare with Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine SpecialistsSupplemental
National median $65,380
Compare with Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine SpecialistsSupplemental
National median $78,620
Compare with Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine SpecialistsSupplemental
National median $46,420
Compare with Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine SpecialistsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $88,980 | 720 | 2025 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $85,040 | 540 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $82,330 | 3,740 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $82,100 | 1,730 | 2025 |
| Bremerton, WA | $80,450 | 160 | 2025 |
| HI | $80,080 | 690 | 2025 |
| Boulder, CO | $79,030 | 150 | 2025 |
| Olympia, WA | $78,960 | 260 | 2025 |
| Paducah, KY | $78,900 | 190 | 2025 |
| Bellingham, WA | $78,330 | 220 | 2025 |
| Napa, CA | $78,070 | 60 | 2025 |
| WA | $77,900 | 7,410 | 2025 |
| Mount Vernon, WA | $77,460 | 170 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $77,380 | 6,520 | 2025 |
| Modesto, CA | $76,640 | 420 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $75,940 | 420 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $75,780 | 12,430 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $75,770 | 3,110 | 2025 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $75,670 | 90 | 2025 |
| AK | $75,580 | 860 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.