Diesel Mechanics in the Paducah area earn a median of $78,900 a year, 31% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #8 of 388 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays less in Cape Girardeau.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for diesel mechanics here is in the top 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the top 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (4.6%) and the population is shrinking (-1.2% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 90 one-person auto repair businesses averaging $62,711 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $92/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Paducah scorecard for diesel mechanics Our calculation
Grades compare Paducah 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).
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Paducah Our calculation
Prices in Paducah run 14% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $91,655 would in a typical place, ranking #1 of 383 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. 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.
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 Kentucky Official source
The main state licensing office in Kentucky is the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction. The state licenses electrical, plumbing and HVAC; general contractors are licensed locally. It can point you to the right license for diesel mechanics.
Official Kentucky 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 KY metros for diesel mechanics
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| PaducahKENTUCKY · KY | $78,900 | $91,655 | 190 |
| Louisville/Jefferson CountyKENTUCKY · KY | $61,310 | $65,872 | 1,480 |
| LexingtonKENTUCKY · KY | $57,470 | $61,870 | 390 |
| ElizabethtownKENTUCKY · KY | $53,290 | $58,837 | 130 |
| OwensboroKENTUCKY · KY | $53,040 | $59,858 | 60 |
| Bowling GreenKENTUCKY · KY | $51,920 | $57,574 | 200 |
See every metro in Kentucky.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Paducah area's unemployment rate was 4.6% in 2025 (all workers, not just diesel mechanics), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 4.9% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Paducah area is 20 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 8% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 81% drive alone, 0% take transit and 7% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Paducah area's population shrank 1.2% from 2020 to 2025 (103,454 → 102,259), ranking #337 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
New construction
New-home permits in Paducah are down 9% from 2024 to 2025 (195 → 178).
In 2025 the Paducah area approved permits for 178 new homes (96 single-family), or 1.7 per 1,000 residents, ranking #318 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 90 one-person businesses (no employees) in auto repair, averaging $62,711 a year in revenue before expenses.
They compete with 35 auto repair companies that have employees (about 140 workers in total). 71% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $78,900 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. 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 Paducah with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.