Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists Salary
In Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ, bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists earn $55,180 at the median, or about $26.53 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $80K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.24), which stretches that salary to about $61,833 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,257/month, about 34% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $55K get you in Sierra Vista-Douglas?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Sierra Vista-Douglas’s Regional Price Parity (89.24). 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 Sierra Vista-Douglas
Pay for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists in Sierra Vista-Douglas runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $62K. Rent runs $1,257/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.24 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists in metros near Sierra Vista-Douglas, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $63K | $61K |
| Tucson | $60K | $62K |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman | $56K | $60K |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott | $57K | $58K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ
Entry-level bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $80K or more, a $40K 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 Sierra Vista-Douglas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 33.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,257/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 Sierra Vista-Douglas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,390/month. At HUD’s $1,257/month FMR, rent would take 53% 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 Sierra Vista-Douglas?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $55K here vs. $62K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Sierra Vista-Douglas compare to the national average for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists?
Sierra Vista-Douglas pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.24), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists make in Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ?
The median is $55,180 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,830, and experienced bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists can clear $79,810. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Sierra Vista-Douglas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,750/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,257/month, which eats 33.5% 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 Sierra Vista-Douglas?
Sierra Vista-Douglas has a Regional Price Parity of 89.24 (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 $61,833 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.