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The DieselTechWork Team covers pay, career paths, and hiring for diesel and heavy equipment mechanics. Pay and employment figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. Living cost comparisons come from Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price data. Statistics about job listings, such as how often listings ask for a CDL, come from listings posted on DieselTechWork.
This is an example of a strong diesel mechanic job posting. It uses the section names and duties that diesel employers such as Ryder, Penske, Republic Services, FedEx Freight, Rush Truck Centers, Holt CAT, Amerit Fleet Solutions, city fleets and a transit agency use in their own postings. Write your own posting from it in your shop's words.
Change the equipment, shift and pay to match your shop. Diesel postings differ most on the lines for pay, tools and ASE. Some give a dollar amount or a plain rule, while others call pay competitive.
Example of a Strong Diesel Mechanic Job Posting
Each bracket marks a detail only you can supply. Write in the work your techs do and leave out any line that does not fit your shop. Pay and shift sit near the top so applicants see them before they scroll.
Job Title | Diesel Technician [or Diesel Mechanic] |
Location | [Company Name], [City, State] |
Position Summary | [Company Name] is hiring a diesel technician to inspect, maintain and repair our [tractors and trailers, refuse trucks, transit buses or heavy equipment]. You will work [in our shop or on a service truck at customer sites]. |
Pay | $[XX] to $[XX] per hour, based on experience. [Shift premium, sign on bonus or certification pay, if offered.] |
Shift | [Days of the week], [Start Time] to [End Time]. [Overtime, weekend or on call rotation, if any.] |
Responsibilities |
|
Qualifications |
|
Preferred |
|
Tools | [Shop equipment and diagnostic tools we supply.] [Tool allowance of $XX per year, if offered.] |
Physical Requirements | Lift up to [XX] pounds, work under equipment and work outdoors in all weather. |
Benefits | [Medical, dental, vision, 401(k) match, paid time off and paid training.] |
How to Apply | [Apply link or phone number]. [Drug test, background check or DOT physical required before hire.] |
If you hire for a dealer, you can swap the maintenance system line for warranty work. Rush Truck Centers asks its techs to tag warranty parts and keep up with factory technical bulletins. When the posting is ready, you can list it on a diesel job board alongside the general sites you already use.
Should a Diesel Mechanic Posting List Pay?
Many diesel postings leave out the pay rate or the shift hours that your applicants weigh before applying. If you leave pay out, your posting looks like the ones from large private employers. Penske, Republic Services and Holt CAT described pay as competitive without a number. City fleets, a transit agency and FedEx Freight posted a rate.
Most U.S. job ads now show pay. "As of May 2025, 59% of job postings in the U.S. included salary information," according to Indeed. If your posting is the one without a rate, a tech comparing two offers has nothing to weigh yours against.
How Much Should a Diesel Mechanic Posting Pay?
You can set a first range from national pay data, then check it against local listings before you post. Diesel technicians earned a median of $29.70 an hour in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The lowest paid tenth earned under about $44,500 a year. Spread over a full time year, that gives you about $21.40 an hour. A starting rate below that puts your posting among the lowest diesel pay in the country. You may see fewer experienced techs apply at that rate.
Rates posted by real diesel employers run from $20 an hour for an entry level tech at Rush Truck Centers up to $30.50 at FedEx Freight. Amerit Fleet Solutions sits in the middle.
Your range also depends on what kind of employer you are. Of the five industries that hire the most diesel techs, local government pays the highest median and trucking pays the lowest.
Employer | Median |
|---|---|
Local government | $71,460 |
Wholesale trade | $63,070 |
Waste and support services | $60,880 |
Repair shops | $60,330 |
Trucking | $59,820 |
Source BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2025
If you run a private fleet near a city or county yard, your posting competes with the highest paying group on this list. The diesel mechanic salary page and the diesel mechanic salary by state guide show where pay sits in your area.
Should You Require Tools, a CDL or ASE?
You will get clearer applicants when the posting says which of these is a must and which can wait. Each one costs the applicant time or money.
Tools have the clearest cost for your applicants. Heavy Duty Journal puts an entry level kit at about $5,000 to $8,000 in its 2026 equipment checklist. A tech reading your posting wants to know whether that money comes out of their pocket.
If you pay an allowance, you can put the amount right in the tools line. FedEx Freight lists a $1,000 yearly tool reimbursement. TCAT (the transit agency in Tompkins County, New York) pays its techs a tool allowance every quarter.
Decide whether you need the CDL on day one or later. Ryder gives new techs six months to get one. TCAT offers paid CDL training. Writing "preferred" or "within six months of hire" keeps techs without one in your pool. The guide on whether diesel mechanics need a CDL explains when the license comes into play.
Most postings list ASE as a preferred skill. Some employers also pay for the certification. FedEx Freight adds $5.50 an hour for ASE Master techs, Ryder pays a bonus for each new certification and Amerit reimburses the cost. You can see what each test covers in the ASE diesel certification guide.
How Do You Write an Entry Level Posting?
An entry level posting works best when it says what you accept in place of experience. You can see how other shops word one in the diesel technician trainee jobs currently listed. Rush Truck Centers asks for a high school diploma and one year of fleet, dealership or technical school experience. FedEx Freight accepts one year of experience or a trade school certificate earned or due within sixty days. Finishing its own apprentice program also qualifies.
Say who trains your new techs and how their pay grows. The diesel mechanic school guide shows the programs that train your future hires. The apprenticeship guide shows how other employers structure paid training.
Browse open diesel mechanic jobs → Diesel Mechanic Jobs
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Diesel Mechanic the Same as a Diesel Technician?
Yes, federal wage data counts both titles as one occupation. Penske puts both words in one title. Using both in the title or first line of your posting can catch both searches.
How Is a Job Description Different From a Posting?
A job description is your internal record of the role and its duties. A job posting is the public ad. It adds pay, shift, benefits and how to apply. The example above works for both.
How Much Weight Do Diesel Postings Ask Techs to Lift?
Diesel postings that list a limit range from 50 to 110 pounds. State the weight your techs lift and whether a hoist or a second tech handles heavier parts.
Should a Diesel Posting Mention a Sign On Bonus?
If you offer one, say how it pays out. TCAT spreads its bonus over one year. Holt CAT offers up to $5,000 to qualified hires. A bonus paid in stages also tells applicants how long you expect them to stay.
Last updated November 2026