Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists Salary
In Santa Fe, NM, bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists earn $55,100 at the median, or about $26.49 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $64K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.77), that's roughly $55,786 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,685/month, about 46.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $55K get you in Santa Fe?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Fe’s Regional Price Parity (98.77). 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 Fe
Pay for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists in Santa Fe runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $62K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,685/month, which is 45.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.77) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialistss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists in metros near Santa Fe, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $59K | $62K |
| Farmington | $52K | $59K |
| Las Cruces | $48K | $53K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $60K | $59K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Santa Fe, NM
Entry-level bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $64K or more, a $17K 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 Fe?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 45.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,685/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Fe?
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 $2,810/month. At HUD’s $1,685/month FMR, rent would take 60% 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 Fe?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $55K here vs. $62K nationally.
How does Santa Fe compare to the national average for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists?
Santa Fe pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.77), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — below the national median.
How much do bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists make in Santa Fe, NM?
The median is $55,100 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,840, and experienced bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists can clear $64,040. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Santa Fe?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,717/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,685/month, which eats 45.3% 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 Fe?
Santa Fe has a Regional Price Parity of 98.77 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists salary is worth about $55,786 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.