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Boston Career Explorer

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair

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), Fleet Mechanic, General Repair Mechanic, Heavy Truck Mechanic

Compare with my current job (Industrial Machinery Mechanics)
Median pay in Greater Boston
$75,770
$36.43/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
3,110
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+5.1%
440 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
High school diploma or equivalent
plus Long-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$52,030$61,820$75,770$91,210$103,850

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • 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.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Lower exposure11 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 16
  • Language-model AIOE 15
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 3

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for this job is lower, and observed AI use is little or none. AI tools may help with reading test results and keeping repair records. Using hand tools, lifting heavy parts, and fixing brakes and engines is physical work that stays with people.

Likely to change

  • Reading gauges and diagnostic test data
  • Keeping repair and service records

Still relies on people

  • Hands-on repair with tools, jacks, and hoists
  • Judging whether parts are safe to use

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers

    Regular equipment checks and strict safety habits carry over. The work offers a Boston median pay of $111,490 and 13.3% projected growth in Massachusetts.

    Pay difference
    +$35,720 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +13.3%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Crane and Tower Operators

    Your experience with hoists and heavy equipment carries over to operating cranes. Pay is $98,140, with projected growth of 16.1% and moderate on-the-job training.

    Pay difference
    +$22,370 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +16.1%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Structural Iron and Steel Workers

    Reading specifications and checking alignment build on your precision work. This apprenticeship path pays a Boston median of $120,840.

    Pay difference
    +$45,070 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +6.1%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

1 program near Boston

Related occupations

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A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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