Installation, maintenance and repair
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
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.
Median pay
$61,770
Growth to 2035
+4%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
24,400
Time to qualify*
12 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Exposure to disease
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists: 53% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core 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.
Also called: Bus Mechanic · Diesel Mechanic · Diesel Technician (Diesel Tech) · Fleet Mechanic · General Repair Mechanic · Heavy Truck Mechanic · Service Technician · Trailer Mechanic
Outlook and AI
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists held 316,000 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 327,400 by 2035 (+4%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
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