What You Need To Know Before Enrolling At A Diesel Mechanic School

Job prospects are also great—there are well over 250,000 diesel mechanic jobs in the country. And according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this number is expected to grow by 12% over the next decade, which is faster than the average job growth rate. So if this is a career you might be interested in, read on to discover how you can become a diesel mechanic.

Decide if this is the right job for you

As a diesel mechanic, you will be doing a lot of heavy duty mechanic work; just as the name suggests, most of your job will involve inspecting, maintaining, and fixing diesel engines in trucks and buses. You’ll be working in workshops that are often loud, and you may even have to travel to roadsides to help out if a vehicle is broken down. It’s a very physical job that isn’t for those looking to sit in an office from nine to five.

While most of your work will focus on hands-on labor with tools and engines, you’ll also need to talk to clients. Customer service is an important skill, as you’ll have to walk clients through any problems, describe solutions, and occasionally recommend the best diesel engine to replace a broken one.

A key question to ask before you decide to pursue this career is how much do diesel mechanics make? Median annual salaries last year came out to a little over $44,500, or $21.40 per hour. Pay does depend on other factors such as location, but if you have a lot of experience and have proven the quality of your work, you could be making well over $60,000 a year.

Get the right education

There are no formal requirements to become a diesel mechanic, but most workshops and clients will want you to have at least a high school diploma or equivalent GED. To make yourself an even more attractive hire, consider getting a post-secondary education at one of the many diesel mechanic schools in the nation. While there aren’t many colleges just for diesel mechanics, most vocational and community colleges have heavy equipment schools that offer degrees in diesel work.

Vocational schools are great because they incorporate a lot of hands-on work. At the same time, however, you will be learning basic knowledge and facts about diesel engineering that will help you in your career—you’ll learn practical information about fuel injector cleaning and small diesel generators, but you’ll also learn helpful statistics about diesel generator fuel consumption and fuel pump prices. Look up some programs near you to compare their quality and value.

Get an apprenticeship

Instead of going to school, you can also get a diesel mechanic apprenticeship. With such a program, you’ll be learning on the job in the exact same environment as the one you’ll eventually work in. Some apprenticeships may be paid, but even if they are, the money is quite low.

On the plus side, apprenticeships mean a year or more of working under an experienced mechanic who can teach you the ins and outs of working in diesel repair. Sometimes you will be taught directly, but most of the time you will learn through observation and then doing it yourself. Generally, the successful completion of an apprenticeship means a full-time job at the same workshop, although some people do go on to create their own businesses.