Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
Diesel Mechanic vs Crane Operator
Diesel Mechanics earn a national median of $64,435 versus $75,123 for Crane Operators, a gap of $10,688 per 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Diesel Mechanics have posted +5% 5-year wage growth versus +4% for Crane Operators.
How These Trades Stack Up
Crane Operators out-earn Diesel Mechanics on national median by $10,688 — $75,123 versus $64,435, or about 17% more. That gap reflects differences in apprenticeship length, certification requirements, industry concentration, and union footprint between the two trades.
Both trades have posted comparable 5-year wage growth — Diesel Mechanics at +5% versus Crane Operators at +4%. That suggests both occupations sit in similar parts of the demand cycle, with neither pulling ahead structurally.
Both trades follow a 3-year apprenticeship pathway — paid on-the-job training combined with classroom instruction, registered through the U.S. Department of Labor at https://www.apprenticeship.gov/. Apprentice pay typically scales from roughly 40% of journeyman wage in year one to 95% by the final year.
Diesel Mechanic
Automotive · 3yr apprenticeship
Crane Operator
Heavy Equipment · 3yr apprenticeship
City-by-City Comparison
| City | Diesel Mechanic | Crane Operator | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | $80,850 | $106,010 | -$25,160 |
| San Francisco, CA | $80,820 | $69,970 | +$10,850 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $74,490 | $61,780 | +$12,710 |
| New York, NY | $73,920 | $94,370 | -$20,450 |
| Boston, MA | $72,290 | $75,980 | -$3,690 |
| Denver, CO | $71,080 | $75,830 | -$4,750 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $68,750 | $71,890 | -$3,140 |
| Portland, OR | $67,430 | $110,280 | -$42,850 |
| Chicago, IL | $65,240 | $57,740 | +$7,500 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $64,170 | $78,360 | -$14,190 |
| Miami, FL | $63,260 | $79,440 | -$16,180 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $63,090 | $132,560 | -$69,470 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $63,080 | $72,630 | -$9,550 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $62,700 | $80,440 | -$17,740 |
| Kansas City, MO | $62,680 | $72,260 | -$9,580 |
| Columbus, OH | $62,320 | $90,090 | -$27,770 |
| St. Louis, MO | $62,110 | $45,360 | +$16,750 |
| Nashville, TN | $60,840 | $49,350 | +$11,490 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $60,740 | $65,960 | -$5,220 |
| Atlanta, GA | $60,730 | $67,230 | -$6,500 |
| Detroit, MI | $60,550 | $84,470 | -$23,920 |
| Tampa, FL | $60,380 | $75,760 | -$15,380 |
| Houston, TX | $60,180 | $75,450 | -$15,270 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $60,090 | $67,960 | -$7,870 |
| Dallas, TX | $60,020 | $74,570 | -$14,550 |
| Raleigh, NC | $58,920 | $79,280 | -$20,360 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $58,680 | $56,830 | +$1,850 |
| New Orleans, LA | $58,430 | $56,440 | +$1,990 |
| Charlotte, NC | $58,380 | $59,220 | -$840 |
| San Antonio, TX | $56,840 | $66,170 | -$9,330 |
How These Numbers Are Calculated
All wage figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (2024) release at bls.gov/oes. National medians are the BLS-published median wages for the trade's Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code; metropolitan medians come from the same OEWS release at the metropolitan statistical area level. Five-year wage growth compares the current OEWS median to the same series five releases prior, expressed as a percent change. The Trade Pay Score weights raw pay (30%), wage growth (25%), employment depth (25%), and cost-of-living-adjusted purchasing power (20%) into a single 0-100 grade — read the full methodology.
Forward-looking employment projections through 2032 for both trades are published in the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at bls.gov/ooh. Apprenticeship pathway detail comes from the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship.gov registry. All three are public-domain federal data sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Diesel Mechanics or Crane Operators make more money?
Crane Operators earn more on national median — $75,123 versus $64,435, a gap of $10,688 per 2024 BLS OEWS data. The full BLS dataset is published at https://www.bls.gov/oes/.
Which trade has stronger 5-year wage growth?
Diesel Mechanics have posted faster wage growth at +5% versus +4% for Crane Operators. Sustained gaps in growth often compound meaningfully over a 20-30 year career.
How long is the apprenticeship for each trade?
Diesel Mechanics typically complete a 3-year registered apprenticeship. Crane Operators typically complete a 3-year registered apprenticeship. Programs are listed at https://www.apprenticeship.gov/.
Which trade has better employment depth?
Diesel Mechanics have 107,570 workers employed nationally; Crane Operators have 16,150. Larger employment bases generally translate into more job openings, easier mobility between employers, and lower volatility — useful when comparing the long-term resilience of two trade pathways.
Where can I find apprenticeships for either trade?
Registered apprenticeship programs for both Diesel Mechanic and Crane Operator are listed on the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship.gov site at https://www.apprenticeship.gov/, which lets you filter by trade, state, and city. Projected employment growth through 2032 for each occupation is published in the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Diesel Mechanics earn a national median of $64,435 versus $75,123 for Crane Operators, a gap of $10,688 per 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Diesel Mechanics have posted +5% 5-year wage growth versus +4% for Crane Operators.
The side-by-side above pulls the the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey data for both Diesel Mechanic and Crane Operator. What follows is the interpretation — which specific axes carry the most weight for Diesel Mechanic versus Crane Operator, and which differences are large enough to influence a real decision.
Practical use of the comparison: read the data above, then drill into the individual Diesel Mechanic and Crane Operator detail pages for the underlying breakdown. A pairwise comparison answers the relative question; the per-entity pages answer the absolute question.