Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists Salary
In Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists earn $75,670 at the median, or about $36.38 an hour. The range runs from $57K at the entry level to $99K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.9), so that salary is closer to $68,854 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $4,214/month, about 85.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $76K get you in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Cruz-Watsonville’s Regional Price Parity (109.9). 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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville
Santa Cruz-Watsonville sits well above the national pay line for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists, local pay runs about 23% 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 $4,214/month, which is 86.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 109.9), 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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, 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, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Entry-level bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists (10th percentile) start around $57K. Mid-career wages sit at $76K. Top earners bring in $99K or more, a $43K 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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $76K, rent takes 86.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $4,214/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists typically earn — is $57K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,391/month. At HUD’s $4,214/month FMR, rent would take 124% 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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Local pay is 23% above the national median — $76K here vs. $62K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 10% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Santa Cruz-Watsonville compare to the national average for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville pays $76K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +23%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.9), 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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The median is $75,670 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $56,510, and experienced bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists can clear $99,330. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $76K enough to live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,870/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $4,214/month, which eats 86.5% 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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville has a Regional Price Parity of 109.9 (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 $68,854 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.