Diesel Mechanics in the Rochester area earn a median of $61,240 a year, 1% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #159 of 388 metros for diesel mechanic pay nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Buffalo and Syracuse, but less in Elmira.
It's one of 13 New York metros with published pay for this trade; see diesel mechanics across New York.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for diesel mechanics here is about average compared with other U.S. metros, and also about average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is lower than in most metros (3.7%) and the population is shrinking (-0.7% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 390 one-person auto repair businesses averaging $70,274 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $76/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Rochester scorecard for diesel mechanics Our calculation
Grades compare Rochester 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 Rochester area went from $49,710 in 2020 to $61,240 in 2025, up 23.2%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -1.7% — a real pay cut.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
Check your pay here
Enter a rate to see where it falls among diesel mechanics in Rochester.
Comparing two real offers with overtime and commutes? Use the job offer checker.
What the pay is really worth in Rochester Our calculation
Prices in the Rochester area run 3% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $63,111 would in a typical place, ranking #222 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 monthly budget for Rochester 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 New York Official source
New York licenses most trades at the city or county level (e.g. New York City). 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.
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 NY metros for diesel mechanics
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New YorkNEW YORK · NY | $75,780 | $67,322 | 12,430 |
| SyracuseNEW YORK · NY | $64,770 | $67,651 | 670 |
| Kiryas JoelNEW YORK · NY | $63,950 | $58,443 | 650 |
| AlbanyNEW YORK · NY | $63,850 | $64,128 | 780 |
| BuffaloNEW YORK · NY | $63,270 | $66,014 | 1,020 |
| KingstonNEW YORK · NY | $61,620 | $61,186 | 110 |
| IthacaNEW YORK · NY | $61,500 | $59,526 | 70 |
| RochesterNEW YORK · NY | $61,240 | $63,111 | 870 |
| ElmiraNEW YORK · NY | $60,450 | $64,037 | 70 |
| WatertownNEW YORK · NY | $60,210 | $68,662 | 80 |
See every metro in New York.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Rochester area's unemployment rate was 3.7% in 2025 (all workers, not just diesel mechanics), below 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 Rochester area is 21 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 7% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 74% drive alone, 1% take transit and 12% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Rochester area's population shrank 0.7% from 2020 to 2025 (1,063,676 → 1,056,149), ranking #326 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -3,326).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
New construction
New-home permits in Rochester are roughly flat from 2021 to 2025 (1,774 → 1,750).
In 2025 the Rochester area approved permits for 1,750 new homes (1,251 single-family), or 1.7 per 1,000 residents, ranking #318 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 390 one-person businesses (no employees) in auto repair, averaging $70,274 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Rochester compares among the best cities to start a diesel mechanic business.
They compete with 361 auto repair companies that have employees (about 1,613 workers in total). 62% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Where to train near Rochester Government data
1 school in or near Rochester offers 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.
| School | Credential | Yearly cost | Recent grads | First-year pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe Community College Rochester, NY · Public | Associate degree | $12,975 | 23 | $48,018 |
| Monroe Community College Rochester, NY · Public | Certificate | $12,975 | 1 | — |
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.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $61,240 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 Rochester 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 RochesterSee where it falls among local diesel mechanics, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolRochester budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Rochester 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 Rochester against every other metro for diesel mechanics. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.