Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · Holland code RCI

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.

Also called: Bus Mechanic, Diesel Mechanic, Diesel Technician (Diesel Tech), Truck Mechanic, Fleet Mechanic, General Repair Mechanic, Heavy Truck Mechanic, Service Technician.

O*NET 49-3031.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $61,770; Middle half earn $50,540 to $75,470. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: Post-Secondary Certificate; 39% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 3 of 5; Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
US employment outlook, 2024 to 2034: +2% · Slower than average; 319,900 jobs in 2024, projected 327,700. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, which groups this with similar roles as "Diesel service technicians and mechanics".

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

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.
Examine and adjust protective guards, loose bolts, and specified safety devices.
Inspect, test, and listen to defective equipment to diagnose malfunctions, using test instruments such as handheld computers, motor analyzers, chassis charts, or pressure gauges.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Critical Thinking3.3 / 5
Speaking3.1 / 5
Active Listening3.0 / 5
Monitoring3.0 / 5
Reading Comprehension2.9 / 5
Active Learning2.8 / 5

Knowledge areas

Mechanical4.7 / 5
Transportation3.9 / 5
Education and Training3.5 / 5
English Language3.5 / 5
Public Safety and Security3.4 / 5
Mathematics3.3 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic100
Investigative38
Artistic0
Social9
Enterprising5
Conventional46

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

motor vehicle engine tester · DE Kfz-Motorenprüfer/Kfz-Motorenprüferin · FR testeur de moteurs en industrie automobile/testeuse de moteurs en industrie automobile
automotive engineering technician · DE Kraftfahrzeugbautechniker/Kraftfahrzeugbautechnikerin · FR technicien en ingénierie automobile/technicienne en ingénierie automobile
automotive brake technician · DE Kraftfahrzeugmechatroniker für Bremsanlagen/Kraftfahrzeugmechatronikerin für Bremsanlagen · FR technicien en système de freinage automobile/technicienne en système de freinage automobile
vehicle technician · DE Kraftfahrzeugmechatroniker Schwerpunkt Personenkraftwagentechnik/Kraftfahrzeugmechatronikerin Schwerpunkt Personenkraftwagentechnik · FR technicien de véhicules/technicienne de véhicules
diesel engine mechanic · DE Motorenmechaniker für Dieselmotoren/Motorenmechanikerin für Dieselmotoren · FR mécanicien diéséliste/mécanicienne diéséliste
refurbishing technician · DE Kraftfahrzeugmechatroniker in der Fahrzeugmodernisierung/Kraftfahrzeugmechatronikerin in der Fahrzeugmodernisierung · FR technicien en remise à neuf de véhicules/technicienne en remise à neuf de véhicules

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians (5231)165,500 employed
Engineering technicians (3113)74,200 employed
Aircraft maintenance and related trades (5234)17,600 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Craft and related trades workers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€40,086
Germany	€38,638
Austria	€38,194
Sweden	€37,856
Netherlands	€37,077
Ireland	€36,098
France	€27,145
Italy	€26,488
Spain	€22,817
Portugal	€11,142
Poland	€10,099

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.01. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (49-3031).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test