Diesel Mechanics in the Ogden area earn a median of $59,550 a year, 1% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #227 of 388 metros for diesel mechanic salaries across the U.S..
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Logan and Salt Lake City, but less in Pocatello.
It's one of 5 Utah metros with published pay for this trade; see statewide diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel Mechanic pay in Ogden at a glance
- Diesel mechanics in the Ogden, UT metro earn a median $59,550 a year ($28.63 an hour), #227 of 388 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $48,990 and $76,390.
- After local prices, that median buys what $59,343 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,251 a month, 25% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among diesel mechanics in Ogden.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for diesel mechanics here is about average compared with other U.S. metros, and in the bottom 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is lower than in most metros (3.4%) and the population is growing faster than most (+5.3% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 265 one-person auto repair businesses averaging $63,287 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $74/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Ogden scorecard for diesel mechanics Our calculation
Grades compare Ogden 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 Ogden area went from $49,190 in 2020 to $59,550 in 2025, up 21.1%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -3.4% — 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
What the pay is really worth in Ogden Our calculation
Prices in Ogden run 0% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $59,343 would in a typical place, ranking #323 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 Ogden budget on this pay 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 Utah Official source
The main state licensing office in Utah is the Utah Division of Professional Licensing. It can point you to the right license for diesel mechanics.
Official Utah 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 UT metros for diesel mechanics
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake CityUTAH · UT | $65,200 | $64,639 | 1,500 |
| ProvoUTAH · UT | $64,350 | $65,508 | 240 |
| LoganUTAH · UT | $63,600 | $66,300 | 50 |
| OgdenUTAH · UT | $59,550 | $59,343 | 410 |
| St. GeorgeUTAH · UT | $59,490 | $61,128 | 90 |
See every metro in Utah.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Ogden area's unemployment rate was 3.4% in 2025 (all workers, not just diesel mechanics), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 2.6% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Ogden area is 24 minutes each way, about the same as the typical metro (24 min). 12% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 72% drive alone, 2% take transit and 16% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Ogden area's population grew 5.3% from 2020 to 2025 (639,140 → 672,784), ranking #93 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +13,310) account for part of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
New construction
New-home permits in Ogden are down 52% from 2021 to 2025 (7,482 → 3,599).
In 2025 the Ogden area approved permits for 3,599 new homes (1,746 single-family), or 5.5 per 1,000 residents, ranking #115 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 265 one-person businesses (no employees) in auto repair, averaging $63,287 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Ogden compares among the best cities to start a diesel mechanic business.
They compete with 188 auto repair companies that have employees (about 1,123 workers in total). 52% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Where to train near Ogden Government data
4 schools in or near Ogden 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 $56,542 in their first year out.
| School | Credential | Yearly cost | Recent grads | First-year pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davis Technical College Kaysville, UT · Public | Certificate | $14,942 | 88 | $53,471 |
| Salt Lake Community College Salt Lake City, UT · Public | Associate degree | $12,474 | 66 | $59,613 |
| Salt Lake Community College Salt Lake City, UT · Public | Certificate | $12,474 | 61 | — |
| Ogden-Weber Technical College Ogden, UT · Public | Certificate | $6,175 | 34 | — |
| Weber State University Ogden, UT · Public | Associate degree | $16,765 | 12 | — |
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 $59,550 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 Ogden with another city →
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ToolOgden budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Ogden 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 Ogden against every other metro for diesel mechanics. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.