How To Become A Diesel Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a diesel technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Julia Johnson

A diesel technician specializes in the maintenance and repair of diesel engines used in vehicles such as trucks, buses, and heavy equipment. They diagnose problems, perform regular maintenance, and repair or replace faulty parts. Diesel technicians use a variety of tools and equipment, including diagnostic software, hand tools, and power tools. They may work in a dealership or repair shop, or travel to job sites to service vehicles on location.

What general advice would you give to a Diesel Technician?

Julia Johnson

Professor, Automotive Technology, Skyline College

You will be starting out as a Lube Tech for your first job in the automotive industry. You will be expected to perform maintenance services accurately and within the industry standard timeframe. It may seem like it’s not challenging enough or too repetitive, but you will be expected to prove yourself at this level before you can advance.

ScoreDiesel TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.7

Avg. Salary $46,868

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.3

Growth Rate 4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.06%

Asian 2.38%

Black or African American 8.02%

Hispanic or Latino 19.50%

Unknown 4.99%

White 64.05%

Gender

female 3.63%

male 96.37%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress Level

6.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

5.8

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.3

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Diesel Technician?

Pros

High demand
Job security
Opportunity for advancement
Competitive pay and benefits
Job opportunities in multiple industries

Cons

Physical demands of the job can be challenging
Long hours and shift work may be required
Risk of injury from heavy machinery and tools
Working in extreme temperatures or weather conditions
May require working in inconvenient or remote locations

Newest jobs for Diesel Technician in Columbus, OH

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Key steps to become a diesel technician

Explore diesel technician education requirements

Most common diesel technician degrees

Associate

37.8 %

High School Diploma

26.7 %

Diploma

22.9 %

Start to develop specific diesel technician skills

Skills	Percentages
CDL	16.53%
Customer Service	7.86%
Preventative Maintenance	7.03%
Diagnosis	6.57%
Hand Tools	6.16%

Complete relevant diesel technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New diesel technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a diesel technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real diesel technician resumes.

Gain additional diesel technician certifications

Diesel technician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific diesel technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for diesel technicians include Commercial Driver License (CDL) and Air Conditioning Service Certification.

More About Certifications

Research diesel technician duties and responsibilities

Maintain, diagnose, troubleshoot and repair all systems pertaining to diesel trucks, refrigerate trailers and flatb trailers.
Obtain class b air brakes cdl
Acquire ASE certifications while working here.
Install PTO's and fabricate wet kits.

Prepare your diesel technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your diesel technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a diesel technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Diesel Technician Resume templates

Build a professional Diesel Technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Diesel Technician resume.

Apply for diesel technician jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a diesel technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do diesel technicians rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Diesel Technician reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2024

Pros

Hard work but good pay (105,000) last year

Cons

Dealing with management and unqualified coworkers

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2022

Cons

Pay is minimal for your knowledge. Hours are better for white collar professionals. Have to buy your own tools with witch you could have bought your home with and no one cares. Treated as a second rate individual because you said "I'm an automotive mechanic." Expected to be perfect from customers who wonder why you didn't get it fixed on the first try when MD's almost never get it right. Expected to be an expert on over 60k types of automobiles that change every friggan year.....want more? If I had the choice to do it all over again I'd go into politics so I could rip off ppl every day and get rich and no one would ever complain.

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019

Pros

Diagnose and finding what is wrong with the automotive

Cons

There's nothing I don't like about work on cars

What is a diesel technician and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Diesel Technician?

What are the pros and cons of being a Diesel Technician?

Newest jobs for Diesel Technician in Columbus, OH

Diesel Technician career paths

Key steps to become a diesel technician

Explore diesel technician education requirements

Most common diesel technician degrees

Start to develop specific diesel technician skills

Complete relevant diesel technician training and internships

Gain additional diesel technician certifications

Research diesel technician duties and responsibilities

Prepare your diesel technician resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Diesel Technician Resume templates

Apply for diesel technician jobs

How Did You Land Your First Diesel Technician Job

Average diesel technician salary

How do diesel technicians rate their job?

Diesel Technician reviews

Diesel Technician jobs by state