Installation, Maintenance & Repair
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
Also called: Bus Mechanic, Diesel Mechanic, Diesel Technician (Diesel Tech), Fleet Mechanic
US median pay
$61,770
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+3.6%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
24,400
316,000 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 3/5 · Medium preparation
What this job is
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.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Perform routine maintenance such as changing oil, checking batteries, and lubricating equipment and machinery.
- Examine and adjust protective guards, loose bolts, and specified safety devices.
- Inspect, test, and listen to defective equipment to diagnose malfunctions, using test instruments such as handheld computers, motor analyzers, chassis charts, or pressure gauges.
- Rewire ignition systems, lights, and instrument panels.
- Test drive trucks and buses to diagnose malfunctions or to ensure that they are working properly.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Troubleshooting4.0/5
- Repairing4.0/5
- Operations Monitoring3.5/5
- Equipment Maintenance3.4/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.2/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1/5
- Equipment Selection3.1/5
- Time Management3.0/5
Knowledge
- Mechanical4.7/5
- Transportation3.9/5
- Education and Training3.5/5
- English Language3.5/5
- Public Safety and Security3.4/5
- Mathematics3.3/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 3 of 5 — Medium preparation. Usually vocational training, an associate's degree or an apprenticeship.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Post-secondary certificate39%
- High school diploma37%
- Some college22%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.