Diesel Mechanic Salary, Adjusted for Cost of Living
Diesel mechanics earn the most in Hawaii ($80,080/yr) — but once you adjust for what a dollar actually buys there, Hawaii drops to #3, and North Dakota pays the most real money ($74,315 in U.S.-average buying power).
| # | State | Nominal / yr | Cost of living | Real pay / yr | COL shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | $66,110 | 89 | $74,315 | ▲ 14 | |
| Alaska | $75,580 | 102 | $73,838 | ▲ 1 | |
| Hawaii | $80,080 | 110 | $72,832 | ▼ 2 | |
| Washington | $77,900 | 107 | $72,795 | ▼ 2 | |
| Maryland | $74,790 | 105 | $71,256 | ▼ 1 | |
| Massachusetts | $73,270 | 106 | $69,281 | — | |
| New Hampshire | $71,390 | 104 | $68,535 | ▲ 1 | |
| Nevada | $68,410 | 100 | $68,424 | ▲ 3 | |
| Colorado | $70,480 | 103 | $68,393 | — | |
| Iowa | $59,680 | 88 | $68,002 | ▲ 23 | |
| Minnesota | $66,840 | 99 | $67,775 | ▲ 3 | |
| California | $73,950 | 111 | $66,790 | ▼ 7 | |
| Louisiana | $58,680 | 88 | $66,525 | ▲ 29 | |
| New Jersey | $72,340 | 109 | $66,486 | ▼ 7 | |
| Wyoming | $61,580 | 93 | $66,436 | ▲ 9 | |
| Wisconsin | $62,450 | 94 | $66,369 | ▲ 5 | |
| Kansas | $59,460 | 90 | $66,017 | ▲ 17 | |
| Rhode Island | $67,270 | 102 | $65,770 | ▼ 5 | |
| Nebraska | $59,140 | 90 | $65,636 | ▲ 21 | |
| South Dakota | $58,120 | 89 | $65,609 | ▲ 23 | |
| Missouri | $59,360 | 91 | $65,362 | ▲ 15 | |
| Ohio | $60,470 | 93 | $65,180 | ▲ 9 | |
| Utah | $64,350 | 99 | $65,089 | ▼ 6 | |
| New York | $70,100 | 108 | $64,955 | ▼ 14 | |
| Connecticut | $67,300 | 104 | $64,955 | ▼ 13 | |
| Indiana | $60,610 | 93 | $64,942 | ▲ 3 | |
| Tennessee | $59,190 | 92 | $64,428 | ▲ 12 | |
| Illinois | $64,340 | 100 | $64,367 | ▼ 10 | |
| Michigan | $61,420 | 96 | $63,835 | ▼ 4 | |
| Georgia | $61,370 | 96 | $63,733 | ▼ 4 | |
| Delaware | $63,590 | 100 | $63,712 | ▼ 11 | |
| Montana | $59,990 | 95 | $63,384 | — | |
| South Carolina | $59,330 | 94 | $63,286 | ▲ 4 | |
| Pennsylvania | $61,740 | 98 | $63,276 | ▼ 12 | |
| Oklahoma | $55,340 | 88 | $62,999 | ▲ 12 | |
| Maine | $60,850 | 97 | $62,700 | ▼ 8 | |
| Mississippi | $54,360 | 87 | $62,517 | ▲ 11 | |
| Idaho | $59,230 | 96 | $62,025 | — | |
| Oregon | $63,970 | 103 | $61,890 | ▼ 20 | |
| Kentucky | $55,480 | 90 | $61,536 | ▲ 6 | |
| Arizona | $61,680 | 101 | $61,265 | ▼ 18 | |
| North Carolina | $57,490 | 94 | $60,948 | ▲ 2 | |
| New Mexico | $55,910 | 92 | $60,632 | ▲ 2 | |
| Vermont | $59,390 | 98 | $60,628 | ▼ 9 | |
| Texas | $58,810 | 97 | $60,593 | ▼ 4 | |
| Virginia | $61,090 | 101 | $60,423 | ▼ 19 | |
| Arkansas | $52,330 | 87 | $60,193 | ▲ 2 | |
| District of Columbia | $65,200 | 110 | $59,326 | ▼ 32 | |
| Florida | $60,490 | 103 | $58,493 | ▼ 19 | |
| Alabama | $50,470 | 89 | $56,821 | — | |
| West Virginia | $46,610 | 90 | $52,080 | — |
How to read this
Nominal pay is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) median wage for diesel mechanics in each state. Real pay divides that by the state's cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parity, U.S. average = 100), so it reflects what the salary is actually worth locally. A state with high nominal pay but high costs can rank lower on real pay than a cheaper state — that's the COL shift column.
Methodology: nominal medians from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 release); cost of living from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (all items, 2024). Real pay = nominal ÷ (RPP ÷ 100). Cite as “WageAtlas Real Pay Index.”
See all professions in the Real Pay Index arrow_forward · Diesel Mechanic salary overview arrow_forward