Statewide pay Government data
Diesel mechanics in Kansas earn a statewide median of $59,460 a year, 1% below the typical U.S. metro, ranking #34 of 50 states and DC. About 3,300 people work in the trade statewide.
Statewide pay range
States ranked near Kansas
See all states on the diesel mechanics nationwide.
Pay by city Government data
BLS publishes diesel mechanic pay for 4 Kansas metros: Lawrence, Manhattan, Topeka and Wichita.
| Metro | Median pay | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| TopekaKANSAS · KS | $66,500 | $74,871 | 290 |
| LawrenceKANSAS · KS | $57,590 | $63,817 | 30 |
| WichitaKANSAS · KS | $57,080 | $64,174 | 610 |
| ManhattanKANSAS · KS | $54,010 | $59,903 | 70 |
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
Pay outside the cities Government data
BLS also reports pay for Kansas's rural (nonmetropolitan) regions.
BLS OEWS nonmetropolitan areas, May 2025.
The job (national)
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.
Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 3.6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 24,400 openings a year. Typical training: long-term on-the-job training.
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.
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.
Where to train in Kansas Government data
24 schools in Kansas offer vehicle maintenance and repair programs below the bachelor's level. Many people in this trade learn through an apprenticeship instead; a program can shorten it or get you hired as a helper.
Where published, graduates earned a median of $42,497 in their first year out.
| School | Credential | Yearly cost | Recent grads | First-year pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology Wichita, KS · Public | Certificate | $18,414 | 426 | $55,581 |
| Kansas City Kansas Community College Kansas City, KS · Public | Certificate | $21,837 | 107 | $37,078 |
| Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology Wichita, KS · Public | Associate degree | $18,414 | 76 | $57,975 |
| Washburn Institute of Technology Topeka, KS · Public | Certificate | $18,739 | 75 | — |
| Flint Hills Technical College Emporia, KS · Public | Certificate | $21,035 | 46 | — |
| Hutchinson Community College Hutchinson, KS · Public | Certificate | $12,197 | 32 | — |
| Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Technical College Goodland, KS · Public | Certificate | $19,780 | 28 | $42,063 |
| Manhattan Area Technical College Manhattan, KS · Public | Certificate | $18,502 | 28 | — |
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (data updated October 2026). Cost is the school's average yearly cost of attendance before financial aid; earnings are the median for graduates one year after finishing, shown only where the school has enough graduates to publish. “—” means not published.
Licensing in Kansas Official source
Kansas licenses most trades at the city or county level. Check with the building or licensing office where you plan to work.
Requirements for diesel mechanics vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
Union membership
In 2025, 6.2% of wage and salary workers in Kansas were union members, below the U.S. rate of about 10% (#32 of 51 states and D.C.), and 9.0% were covered by a union contract. These figures cover all jobs in the state, not only diesel mechanics.
BLS Union Members, 2025 (Current Population Survey), table 5.
Cities in Kansas
All trades in Kansas.