Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul buses and trucks, or maintain and repair any type of diesel engines. Includes mechanics working primarily with automobile or marine diesel engines.
BLS SOC 49-3031 · O*NET-SOC 49-3031.00 · BLS 2025–2035 · O*NET 31.0
Median annual wage, 2025
$61,770
Projected change, 2025–2035
3.6%
2025–2035 annual average openings
24,400
AI exposure
Low
Editorial analysis
Heavy vehicles are becoming diagnostic computers on wheels
Diesel and heavy-vehicle technicians increasingly work with electronic engine controls, emissions systems, telematics, sensors, automated transmissions, advanced braking, driver-assistance systems, and fleet-management technology. AI can combine those data streams to predict failures and guide troubleshooting.
Fleet data can tell a mechanic which vehicle to look at first
Instead of servicing every truck only on a fixed schedule, fleets can increasingly identify vehicles whose temperatures, pressures, fuel use, vibration, or fault patterns suggest that something is beginning to fail. That changes maintenance from purely reactive work toward condition-based service.
- Predictive maintenance can reduce roadside failures.
- AI can interpret complicated fault histories and service information.
- Electric and alternative-fuel commercial vehicles create new high-voltage and electronic specialties.
- Engines, brakes, suspensions, drivetrains, tires, hydraulics, and physical repairs still require skilled technicians.
Technicians who add electronics, telematics, high-voltage systems, and advanced diagnostics to strong mechanical fundamentals may have especially durable careers as commercial fleets become more technologically sophisticated.
Labor-market picture
Two measures, different questions
These measures offer two different ways to understand the occupation: BLS projections show how national employment may change over time, while relative AI exposure highlights where tasks may intersect with AI-related capabilities. Read them with the work profile and your local context to decide what deserves closer investigation.
Employment
- Employment, 2025
- 316,000 jobs
- Projected employment, 2035
- 327,400 jobs
- Projected change, 2025–2035
- 11,400 jobs (3.6%)
Relative AI exposure
BLS category: Low. This is a relative task-exposure classification, not a forecast of employment change, automation, wages, or worker replacement.
Relative AI exposure · Low
Work profile
Representative tasks
These task statements come from O*NET 31.0. They are source facts, not labels assigned by the AI exposure measure.
- Use handtools, such as screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, pressure gauges, or precision instruments, as well as power tools, such as pneumatic wrenches, lathes, welding equipment, or jacks and hoists.
- Inspect brake systems, steering mechanisms, wheel bearings, and other important parts to ensure that they are in proper operating condition.
- Raise trucks, buses, and heavy parts or equipment using hydraulic jacks or hoists.
- Adjust and reline brakes, align wheels, tighten bolts and screws, and reassemble equipment.
- Attach test instruments to equipment, and read dials and gauges to diagnose malfunctions.
- Perform routine maintenance such as changing oil, checking batteries, and lubricating equipment and machinery.
Skills that matter
Skills in the source profile
Importance uses O*NET's 1–5 scale. Level uses its 0–7 scale. Select a skill to see its source definition and reported values.
Technology and tools
These technology records come from O*NET and show software or tools reported in the occupation profile. They describe work context, not a required checklist for every employer.
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Facilities management software
- Analytical or scientific software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software
- Inventory management software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
Preparation
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
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Source provenance
Labor-market and exposure facts: bls-ep-2025-35. Work profile: onet-31.0. Verify release details on the Sources page.