Diesel Mechanics in the Cleveland area earn a median of $62,690 a year, 4% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #115 of 388 metros for diesel mechanics nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays less in Akron.
It's one of 12 Ohio metros with published pay for this trade; see diesel mechanic pay in Ohio.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for diesel mechanics here is above average compared with other U.S. metros, and also above average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is about the same as in most metros (4.0%) and the population is shrinking (-0.8% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 1,107 one-person auto repair businesses averaging $63,265 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $77/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Cleveland scorecard for diesel mechanics Our calculation
Grades compare Cleveland 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
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among diesel mechanics in Cleveland.
Comparing two real offers with overtime and commutes? Use the job offer checker.
What the pay is really worth in Cleveland Our calculation
Prices in Cleveland run 6% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $66,746 would in a typical place, ranking #98 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 Cleveland 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 Ohio Official source
The main state licensing office in Ohio is the Ohio Department of Commerce. Home of the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board. It can point you to the right license for diesel mechanics.
Official Ohio 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 OH metros for diesel mechanics
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| DaytonOHIO · OH | $62,730 | $67,674 | 810 |
| ClevelandOHIO · OH | $62,690 | $66,746 | 1,970 |
| LimaOHIO · OH | $62,450 | $69,645 | 210 |
| CincinnatiOHIO · OH | $62,400 | $65,429 | 2,300 |
| ColumbusOHIO · OH | $62,190 | $65,142 | 2,690 |
| AkronOHIO · OH | $61,010 | $65,342 | 790 |
| ToledoOHIO · OH | $60,680 | $66,350 | 770 |
| SpringfieldOHIO · OH | $60,040 | $66,356 | 170 |
| SanduskyOHIO · OH | $59,950 | $67,148 | 80 |
| CantonOHIO · OH | $59,310 | $66,338 | 470 |
See every metro in Ohio.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Cleveland area's unemployment rate was 4.0% in 2025 (all workers, not just diesel mechanics), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 5.8% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Cleveland area is 24 minutes each way, about the same as the typical metro (24 min). 10% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 72% drive alone, 2% take transit and 14% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Cleveland area's population shrank 0.8% from 2020 to 2025 (2,184,166 → 2,165,775), ranking #329 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 Cleveland are roughly flat from 2024 to 2025 (4,289 → 4,174).
In 2025 the Cleveland area approved permits for 4,174 new homes (2,866 single-family), or 1.9 per 1,000 residents, ranking #301 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 1,107 one-person businesses (no employees) in auto repair, averaging $63,265 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Cleveland compares among the best cities to start a diesel mechanic business.
They compete with 610 auto repair companies that have employees (about 2,873 workers in total). 65% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Where to train near Cleveland Government data
2 schools in or near Cleveland offer vehicle maintenance and repair programs below the bachelor's level, 1 of them at public colleges. 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 $41,370 in their first year out.
| School | Credential | Yearly cost | Recent grads | First-year pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Technical College Cleveland, OH · Private for-profit | Certificate | $38,957 | 152 | $39,986 |
| Cuyahoga Community College District Cleveland, OH · Public | Certificate | $10,949 | 82 | — |
| Ohio Technical College Cleveland, OH · Private for-profit | Associate degree | $38,957 | 68 | $42,754 |
| Cuyahoga Community College District Cleveland, OH · Public | Associate degree | $10,949 | 22 | — |
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 $62,690 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 Cleveland 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 ClevelandSee where it falls among local diesel mechanics, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolCleveland budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Cleveland 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 Cleveland against every other metro for diesel mechanics. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.