Diesel Mechanics in the Ames area earn a median of $61,360 a year, 2% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #154 of 388 metros for diesel mechanics nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Des Moines and Mankato, but less in Waterloo.
It's one of 8 Iowa metros with published pay for this trade; see diesel mechanic pay in Iowa.
Diesel Mechanic pay in Ames at a glance
- Diesel mechanics in the Ames, IA metro earn a median $61,360 a year ($29.50 an hour), #154 of 388 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $46,820 and $82,640.
- After local prices, that median buys what $69,076 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $907 a month, 18% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among diesel mechanics in Ames.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for diesel mechanics here is above average compared with other U.S. metros, and in the top 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is lower than in most metros (2.9%) and the population is growing at a typical pace (+2.2% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 51 one-person auto repair businesses averaging $60,490 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $76/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Ames scorecard for diesel mechanics Our calculation
Grades compare Ames with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($60,355).
Pay over time
The median pay for diesel mechanics in the Ames area went from $47,470 in 2021 to $61,360 in 2025, up 29.3%. Prices rose 19% over the same period, so after inflation that's +8.2% — a real raise.
BLS OEWS, May 2021–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Ames Our calculation
Prices in Ames run 11% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $69,076 would in a typical place, ranking #51 of 383 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
Want the full picture? Build a cost-of-living budget for Ames from this pay, local rent and prices.
What diesel mechanics do
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.
Most important day-to-day 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.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, diesel mechanic jobs are projected to grow 3.6% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 24,400 openings a year. About 6% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often diesel mechanics deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes medium preparation (vocational training or an apprenticeship, often 1–2+ years).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in Iowa Official source
The main state licensing office in Iowa is the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing. It can point you to the right license for diesel mechanics.
Official Iowa licensing site ↗
Requirements for diesel mechanics vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, diesel mechanics have 163 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.9× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying IA metros for diesel mechanics
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des MoinesIOWA · IA | $61,630 | $67,208 | 1,050 |
| AmesIOWA · IA | $61,360 | $69,076 | 80 |
| DavenportIOWA · IA | $61,270 | $68,782 | 520 |
| Sioux CityIOWA · IA | $60,600 | $70,095 | 180 |
| Iowa CityIOWA · IA | $60,150 | $65,731 | 120 |
| Cedar RapidsIOWA · IA | $60,010 | $67,455 | 490 |
| WaterlooIOWA · IA | $58,190 | $66,841 | 150 |
| DubuqueIOWA · IA | $57,630 | $65,993 | 170 |
See every metro in Iowa.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Ames area's unemployment rate was 2.9% in 2025 (all workers, not just diesel mechanics), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 3.1% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Ames area is 19 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 8% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 69% drive alone, 5% take transit and 9% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Ames area's population grew 2.2% from 2020 to 2025 (125,363 → 128,090), ranking #209 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +2,176) account for most of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
New construction
New-home permits in Ames are roughly flat from 2021 to 2025 (394 → 392).
In 2025 the Ames area approved permits for 392 new homes (199 single-family), or 3.1 per 1,000 residents, ranking #215 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 51 one-person businesses (no employees) in auto repair, averaging $60,490 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Ames compares among the best cities to start a diesel mechanic business.
They compete with 37 auto repair companies that have employees (about 158 workers in total). 65% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $61,360 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get diesel mechanic pricing & estimate templates →Compare Ames with another city →
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ToolBest cities for diesel mechanicsRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in AmesSee where it falls among local diesel mechanics, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolAmes budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Ames metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Ames against every other metro for diesel mechanics. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.