Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
Diesel Mechanic vs Machinist
Diesel Mechanics earn a national median of $64,435 versus $57,590 for Machinists, a gap of $6,845 per 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Diesel Mechanics have posted +5% 5-year wage growth versus +-1% for Machinists.
How These Trades Stack Up
Diesel Mechanics out-earn Machinists on national median by $6,845 — $64,435 versus $57,590, or about 12% more. That gap reflects differences in apprenticeship length, certification requirements, industry concentration, and union footprint between the two trades.
Diesel Mechanics have grown faster — +5% over five years versus +-1% for Machinists. Sustained growth gaps of this size can compound meaningfully over a 20-30 year career, so workers comparing the two trades should weigh growth alongside the headline median.
Diesel Mechanics typically complete a 3-year apprenticeship while Machinists require 4 years. The longer pathway usually translates into higher journeyman pay and stronger licensure protection, but it also delays full earnings; the shorter pathway delivers faster income at typically lower medians.
Diesel Mechanic
Automotive · 3yr apprenticeship
Machinist
Metalwork · 4yr apprenticeship
City-by-City Comparison
| City | Diesel Mechanic | Machinist | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | $80,850 | $73,790 | +$7,060 |
| San Francisco, CA | $80,820 | $66,320 | +$14,500 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $74,490 | $50,610 | +$23,880 |
| New York, NY | $73,920 | $62,320 | +$11,600 |
| Boston, MA | $72,290 | $63,600 | +$8,690 |
| Denver, CO | $71,080 | $59,640 | +$11,440 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $68,750 | $60,470 | +$8,280 |
| Portland, OR | $67,430 | $62,350 | +$5,080 |
| Chicago, IL | $65,240 | $57,470 | +$7,770 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $64,170 | $61,040 | +$3,130 |
| Miami, FL | $63,260 | $58,640 | +$4,620 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $63,090 | $52,920 | +$10,170 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $63,080 | $59,500 | +$3,580 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $62,700 | $47,640 | +$15,060 |
| Kansas City, MO | $62,680 | $54,380 | +$8,300 |
| Columbus, OH | $62,320 | $52,790 | +$9,530 |
| St. Louis, MO | $62,110 | $60,850 | +$1,260 |
| Nashville, TN | $60,840 | $49,280 | +$11,560 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $60,740 | $53,010 | +$7,730 |
| Atlanta, GA | $60,730 | $52,810 | +$7,920 |
| Detroit, MI | $60,550 | $57,240 | +$3,310 |
| Tampa, FL | $60,380 | $50,830 | +$9,550 |
| Houston, TX | $60,180 | $58,630 | +$1,550 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $60,090 | $59,240 | +$850 |
| Dallas, TX | $60,020 | $57,400 | +$2,620 |
| Raleigh, NC | $58,920 | $61,040 | -$2,120 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $58,680 | $50,050 | +$8,630 |
| New Orleans, LA | $58,430 | $61,560 | -$3,130 |
| Charlotte, NC | $58,380 | $59,260 | -$880 |
| San Antonio, TX | $56,840 | $53,010 | +$3,830 |
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 Machinists make more money?
Diesel Mechanics earn more on national median — $64,435 versus $57,590, a gap of $6,845 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 +-1% for Machinists. 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. Machinists typically complete a 4-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; Machinists have 113,790. 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 Machinist 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 $57,590 for Machinists, a gap of $6,845 per 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Diesel Mechanics have posted +5% 5-year wage growth versus +-1% for Machinists.
The side-by-side above pulls the the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey data for both Diesel Mechanic and Machinist. What follows is the interpretation — which specific axes carry the most weight for Diesel Mechanic versus Machinist, 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 Machinist detail pages for the underlying breakdown. A pairwise comparison answers the relative question; the per-entity pages answer the absolute question.