1889 Venture Drive, Laramie, WY · Private for-profit, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 473 diesel mechanic
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $31,750 9 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $49,700 undergraduate certificate
Diesel Mechanic Schools
Diesel technicians keep trucks, buses, tractors and heavy equipment running: engines, fuel and emissions systems, air brakes, hydraulics and electronics. This page also counts medium/heavy truck technology and heavy-equipment maintenance programs, since they train for the same shop jobs.
380schools with grads
12,760awards 2023-24
$30,350median program tuition
13 momedian length
$61,770BLS median pay
By state
- Alabama9 schools
- Alaska4 schools
- Arizona5 schools
- Arkansas10 schools
- California21 schools
- Colorado5 schools
- Connecticut1 school: Lincoln Technical Institute-East Windsor
- Delaware2 schools
- Florida21 schools
- Georgia16 schools
- Hawaii2 schools
- Idaho6 schools
- Illinois13 schools
- Indiana3 schools
- Iowa10 schools
- Kansas8 schools
- Kentucky13 schools
- Louisiana6 schools
- Maine3 schools
- Maryland1 school: North American Trade Schools
- Massachusetts1 school: Massasoit Community College
- Michigan6 schools
- Minnesota10 schools
- Mississippi10 schools
- Missouri7 schools
- Montana4 schools
- Nebraska6 schools
- Nevada3 schools
- New Hampshire1 school: White Mountains Community College
- New Jersey4 schools
- New Mexico2 schools
- New York5 schools
- North Carolina16 schools
- North Dakota2 schools
- Ohio6 schools
- Oklahoma15 schools
- Oregon7 schools
- Pennsylvania12 schools
- Puerto Rico5 schools
- South Carolina5 schools
- South Dakota3 schools
- Tennessee12 schools
- Texas29 schools
- Utah10 schools
- Vermont1 school: Vermont State University
- Virginia6 schools
- Washington11 schools
- West Virginia5 schools
- Wisconsin12 schools
- Wyoming5 schools
Largest diesel mechanic programs by graduates
3801 Campus Drive, Waco, TX · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 321 diesel mechanic
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $8,544
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $48,567 undergraduate certificate
10695 West Pierce Street, Avondale, AZ · Private for-profit, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 262 diesel mechanic
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $38,950
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $47,922 associate degree
1524 Gallatin Rd, Nashville, TN · Private for-profit, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 255 diesel mechanic
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $36,020 13 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $41,342 undergraduate certificate
808 Monticello Street, Somerset, KY · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 223 diesel mechanic
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $4,872
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $42,081 undergraduate certificate
600 College Street Rd, Elizabethtown, KY · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 192 diesel mechanic
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $4,872
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $65,353 undergraduate certificate
500 Technology Way, Florence, KY · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 190 diesel mechanic
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $4,872
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $44,816 undergraduate certificate
1801 Martin Luther King Dr, San Antonio, TX · Public, 4-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 185 diesel mechanic
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $3,412
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $49,609 associate degree
1441 N Cable Rd, Lima, OH · Private nonprofit, 4-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 183 diesel mechanic
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $14,625
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $50,083 associate degree
5151 Regent Blvd., Irving, TX · Private for-profit, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 161 diesel mechanic
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $38,950 11 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $47,064 undergraduate certificate
721 Lock Haven Dr., Houston, TX · Private for-profit, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 157 diesel mechanic
- Largest program 2025-26
- $50,198
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $47,758 associate degree
1101 S Yakima Ave, Tacoma, WA · Public, 4-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 147 diesel mechanic
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $5,874
- Median pay 10 yrs, all
- $56,009
3134 West Hwy 34, Grand Island, NE · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 140 diesel mechanic
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $3,450
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $58,144 associate degree
4100 Duckhorn Drive, Sacramento, CA · Private for-profit, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 133 diesel mechanic
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $40,250 11 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $40,853 undergraduate certificate
2611 Corporate West Drive, Lisle, IL · Private for-profit, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 133 diesel mechanic
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $39,350 11 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $46,664 undergraduate certificate
Becoming a diesel technician: licenses and credentials
- There is no general state license for diesel technicians. The common industry credential is the ASE Medium-Heavy Truck (T-series) tests. ASE.
- Road-testing a truck can require a commercial driver's license, which is why some diesel programs include CDL training. See CDL schools.
BLS puts the median annual wage for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists nationally at $61,770 (middle 80% from $44,530 to $88,740), May 2025. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Questions, answered from the data
How many diesel mechanic schools are there?
380 schools reported diesel mechanic graduates to the Department of Education for 2023-24, 12,760 awards in all (9,846 undergraduate certificates, 2,890 associate degrees, 24 bachelor's degrees).
How long is diesel mechanic school?
Among the 43 diesel mechanic programs that reported a length to IPEDS for 2023-24, the median took 13 months to finish. Community college associate degrees usually take two years full time.
How much does diesel mechanic school cost?
At schools that price by program, the median published tuition and fees for a whole diesel mechanic program was $30,350 in 2023-24 (46 programs reporting, from $1,013 to $46,050); public two-year colleges teaching it charge a median $4,604 a year in-state (2025-26). Grants and aid lower what most students pay.
How much does a diesel technician make?
The BLS median annual wage for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists was $61,770 in May 2025; the lowest-paid 10% earned under $44,530 and the top 10% over $88,740.
What do diesel mechanic graduates earn right after school?
Across 165 schools with College Scorecard data, the median of their graduates' median earnings one year after a certificate was $43,707. Scorecard reports this for the broader program family and only for federally aided graduates.
Sources: IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024_A) and Directory (HD2024), NCES; College Scorecard institution data (2025-26 charges, released Nov 2, 2026) and field-of-study data (Oct 15, 2026); FMCSA Training Provider Registry (as of 2026-11-02); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked 2026-11-02. How we build this list.