Diesel Technician Salary: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
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The median annual wage for Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL was $61,060 in May 2025 (BLS). The middle half of workers in this occupation and area earned between $50,550 and $74,950. This is the broader occupation used for Diesel Technician, not a separately surveyed rate for that title or credential.
Broader occupation Our title "Diesel Technician" is reported by BLS as SOC 49-3031 Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists. BLS groups Diesel Technician within Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists; it does not publish this niche title or credential level separately.
For Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031), the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL annual median is $710 below the national median of $61,770 (-1.1%).
Annual wages: Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031)
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031), Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, annual wages: 10% earned less than $44,950, half earned less than the median of $61,060, 90% earned less than $78,120 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Annual wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $44,950 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $50,550 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $61,060 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $74,950 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $78,120 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $63,360 | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Hourly wages: Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031)
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031), Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, hourly wages: 10% earned less than $21.61, half earned less than the median of $29.36, 90% earned less than $37.56 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Hourly wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $21.61 per hour | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $24.30 per hour | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $29.36 per hour | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $36.04 per hour | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $37.56 per hour | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $30.46 per hour | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
National comparison
| Measure | Annual wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $44,530 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $50,540 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $61,770 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $75,470 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $88,740 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $64,320 | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 49-3031 Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL.
What BLS wages measure. OEWS estimates describe straight-time gross wages, not just base salary and not total compensation. They include commissions and production bonuses. They exclude overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. Discuss travel, per diem, tool and truck allowances separately. Percentiles describe the occupation's wage distribution, not seniority, plant size, job complexity or credentials. Licensing, union agreements and prevailing-wage obligations depend on the work and assignment; these figures do not establish a premium for them.
Official BLS wage definitions | Source dates and methodology
BLS definitions, verbatim
wages
Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
hours
Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly wages by 2,080 hours; for occupations where hourly wages are not published, annual wages were taken directly from the reported survey data.
Which related roles have a different BLS occupation?
A supervisory occupation is not an experience percentile for the craft. Compare the actual responsibilities and the published SOC.
Shop Foreman (49-1011)What do these published wages mean for an offer?
Skilled Trades Headhunters reads the May 2025 figures for Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) as an offer reference, not a quote for a particular candidate. For Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician), the published median for SOC 49-3031, Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists, is $61,060 per year. The middle half of the Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) wage distribution runs from $50,550 to $74,950, a width of $24,400 per year; that spread shows how much published pay varies within the occupation and area, without assigning experience levels.
Against the United States estimate, the Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) median is $710 below the national median of $61,770. For Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031), Wildwood-The Villages, FL reports $58,940 per year, $2,120 below Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL; For Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031), Homosassa Springs, FL reports $59,680 per year, $1,380 below Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. The neighbors used for Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) are the nearest metro representative points with a released median, using Census geography, not a commuting or cost-of-living adjustment.
The highest published medians among the selected national industry rows for Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists, read alongside Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician), are Natural Gas Distribution at $103,610 per year (NAICS 221200); Scheduled Air Transportation at $102,280 per year (NAICS 481100); Air Transportation at $99,420 per year (NAICS 481000). Those Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) industry comparisons are national cross-sections, not local industry estimates; BLS does not give us a metro-by-industry wage cut here, and overlapping industry groups should not be added together.
The Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) median was $60,380 per year in May 2024, compared with $61,060 in May 2025, a published difference of $680. That Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) comparison is between separate BLS releases, not the raise paid to the same workers or a projection of next year's offer. Read the $60,380 and $61,060 Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) estimates with both dates visible, because the employers and workers represented by the survey can change.
Before using $61,060 per year from Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) to calibrate an offer, separate overtime, per diem, lodging and mobilization separately; prevailing wage obligations and union scale depend on the assignment and agreement, not a special BLS traveling-worker percentile. The Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) BLS comparison measures straight-time gross wages, including commissions and production bonuses, but excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. A candidate's take-home pay and the employer's total cost for Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) can therefore differ from the median without either number being an error.
The mapping for Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) is broader: BLS groups Diesel Technician within Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists; it does not publish this niche title or credential level separately. When calibrating a Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) opening, the work checks include ASE T-series or Master Truck; power-equipment manufacturers/commercial-vehicle manufacturers/commercial-vehicle manufacturers; ask for evidence of that scope instead of using a percentile as a substitute for qualification. A broader occupation can combine jobs that a Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) buyer would screen separately, which is why the badge and SOC remain beside the figures.
Questions about this occupation and area
What does the middle-half band tell a Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) buyer?
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) has a published middle-half band of $50,550 to $74,950, a width of $24,400 per year, with median $61,060. An offer inside that Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) band is not automatically competitive for every scope; match the required work and the separate pay terms first.
Which areas should I compare before hiring Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician)?
Wildwood-The Villages, FL and Homosassa Springs, FL are the nearest published metro reference points used for Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician). Comparing those Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists tables with the $61,060 Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) median does not measure commuting costs or predict what a particular applicant will accept.
Are the industry figures local to Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician)?
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) uses national industry rows for SOC 49-3031, not local sector-specific wages. Natural Gas Distribution leads the selected sortable rows at $103,610 per year, but that national industry figure is not a quoted offer for Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician).
What changed between the releases for Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician)?
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) moved from $60,380 in May 2024 to $61,060 in May 2025. These Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (reference for Diesel Technician) published medians do not describe an individual raise or establish a future wage trend.
What changed since May 2024
SOC 49-3031. Published annual median: $60,380 (May 2024) and $61,060 (May 2025). These are two BLS releases, not a projection.