Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists Salary
In San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA, bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists earn $74,620 at the median, or about $35.88 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $91K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.6), so that salary is closer to $68,711 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,512/month, about 51.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $75K get you in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles’s Regional Price Parity (108.6). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
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What this looks like in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles sits well above the national pay line for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists, local pay runs about 21% higher than the U.S. median of $62K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,512/month, which is 52.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.6), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists in metros near San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $77K | $68K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $71K | $67K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $82K | $71K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $75K | $67K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
Entry-level bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $75K. Top earners bring in $91K or more, a $44K spread from bottom to top.
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $80K | +30% | 690 |
| Washington | $78K | +26% | 7,410 |
| Alaska | $76K | +22% | 860 |
| Maryland | $75K | +21% | 3,030 |
| California | $74K | +20% | 20,940 |
| Massachusetts | $73K | +19% | 4,870 |
| New Jersey | $72K | +17% | 8,160 |
| New Hampshire | $71K | +16% | 1,040 |
| Colorado | $70K | +14% | 4,600 |
| New York | $70K | +13% | 13,230 |
| Nevada | $68K | +11% | 1,990 |
| Connecticut | $67K | +9% | 2,860 |
| Rhode Island | $67K | +9% | 350 |
| Minnesota | $67K | +8% | 7,300 |
| North Dakota | $66K | +7% | 1,790 |
| District of Columbia | $65K | +6% | 110 |
| Utah | $64K | +4% | 2,690 |
| Illinois | $64K | +4% | 11,320 |
| Oregon | $64K | +4% | 3,770 |
| Delaware | $64K | +3% | 670 |
| Wisconsin | $62K | +1% | 6,750 |
| Pennsylvania | $62K | -0% | 12,630 |
| Arizona | $62K | -0% | 5,140 |
| Wyoming | $62K | -0% | 1,100 |
| Michigan | $61K | -1% | 9,020 |
| Georgia | $61K | -1% | 10,910 |
| Virginia | $61K | -1% | 8,070 |
| Maine | $61K | -1% | 1,380 |
| Indiana | $61K | -2% | 8,840 |
| Florida | $60K | -2% | 14,900 |
| Ohio | $60K | -2% | 14,240 |
| Montana | $60K | -3% | 1,230 |
| Iowa | $60K | -3% | 4,140 |
| Kansas | $59K | -4% | 3,300 |
| Vermont | $59K | -4% | 550 |
| Missouri | $59K | -4% | 6,780 |
| South Carolina | $59K | -4% | 3,360 |
| Idaho | $59K | -4% | 1,930 |
| Tennessee | $59K | -4% | 5,720 |
| Nebraska | $59K | -4% | 2,720 |
| Texas | $59K | -5% | 29,870 |
| Louisiana | $59K | -5% | 3,270 |
| South Dakota | $58K | -6% | 1,340 |
| North Carolina | $57K | -7% | 11,070 |
| New Mexico | $56K | -9% | 1,740 |
| Kentucky | $55K | -10% | 3,890 |
| Oklahoma | $55K | -10% | 3,970 |
| Mississippi | $54K | -12% | 3,140 |
| Arkansas | $52K | -15% | 4,090 |
| Alabama | $50K | -18% | 6,130 |
| West Virginia | $47K | -25% | 1,040 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $75K, rent takes 52.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,512/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,825/month. At HUD’s $2,512/month FMR, rent would take 89% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialist a high-paying job in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
Local pay is 21% above the national median — $75K here vs. $62K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 9% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles compare to the national average for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists?
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles pays $75K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.6), the purchasing-power equivalent is $69K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists make in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?
The median is $74,620 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,090, and experienced bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists can clear $91,320. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $75K enough to live in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,817/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,512/month, which eats 52.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists salary go in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles has a Regional Price Parity of 108.6 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists salary is worth about $68,711 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.