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Truck Mechanic Training and Jobs


Schools and Degrees

In order to become a truck mechanic one should take courses in mathematics, physics, automotive and repair. Many vocational and trade schools and community colleges offer programs in these subjects. Such programs lead towards associate’s degrees.

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Training and Education

A postsecondary vocational award is often necessary for working in the field. About 3% of truck mechanics have earned a degree. Some college, below a 4-year degree, is sufficient for 31% of workers. Employees with only a high school education represent about 66% of all.


Job Overview

Truck mechanics repair and maintain the engine that powers Trucks. They also look into any other mechanical problems that trucks may have.


Job Requirements

Training is very important in this vocation. Formal training educates aspirants in the current truck and diesel technology. It provides them with the complete knowledge required to service and repair trucks. Truck mechanics are also taught how to understand and use technical manuals in their work. Unskilled and uneducated beginners often join as trainees, and pick up required skills through practical experience on the job.

Certification often advances the scope of employment for truck mechanics. The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence offers certifications for truck mechanics. Those who pass the assessments are certified as master truck equipment technicians or as master heavy/medium truck technicians. Truck mechanics can also be certified in the areas of electronic and electrical systems, brakes and steering and suspension. Two years experience is required prior to taking the examination.

Truck mechanics should have good problem solving skills. They also need to have mechanical aptitude. Being physically fit is important. They should be at least eighteen years old and have a commercial drivers license so that they are able to test drive the trucks after repairing them. Many organizations require truck mechanics pass a drug test.


Nature of Work

Truck mechanics handle almost all kinds of repairs pertaining to trucks. They may be required to examine the electrical system of the truck one day and undertake major repairs of the engine the next. Mechanics who work for firms usually end up doing preventive maintenance work, during which they adhere to a check list. Then they adjust, fix or change broken parts. Truck mechanics employ a number of tools to do their work, including pneumatic wrenches, lathes and welding and cutting machines.

Truck mechanics usually work in well-ventilated areas. They are usually provided with shower and locker facilities by employers. They usually work indoors, but also may be required to work outdoors and fix trucks on the road. The nature of work requires the mechanic to be in the same position for long hours, which can be quite tiring. Truck mechanics normally work for forty hours in a week.


Area Job Conditions

Truck mechanics appear most common in Farmington (New Mexico), Casper (Wyoming), and Springfield (Ohio), and least common in Bethesda (Maryland), San Francisco (California), and Athens (Georgia).

Napa (California), Kokomo (Indiana), and Oakland (California) offer the highest pay. Johnson City (Tennessee), McAllen (Texas), and Ann Arbor (Michigan) offer the lowest salaries.


Part-Time and Self Employment

Government statistics report that 3% of truck mechanics are employed part-time. Workers who work for themselves total about 6%.


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Truck Mechanics by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anniston $36,000 50 -20%
Auburn $43,000 30 -50%
Birmingham $42,000 1,280 +66%
Decatur $37,000 150 +102%
Dothan $39,000 190 +133%
Florence $40,000 170 +136%
Gadsden $32,000 70 +52%
Huntsville $38,000 140 -56%
Mobile $36,000 590 +121%
Montgomery $36,000 240 -2%
Tuscaloosa $38,000 140 +7%

Alaska

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anchorage $59,000 350 +39%
Fairbanks $55,000 90 +112%

Arizona

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Flagstaff $44,000 40 -49%
Kingman $33,000 140 +116%
Phoenix $44,000 2,640 -5%
Prescott $40,000 140 +87%
Tucson $41,000 360 -32%
Yuma $34,000 60 -22%

Arkansas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Fayetteville $39,000 450 +45%
Fort Smith $32,000 280 +54%
Jonesboro $33,000 110 +72%
Little Rock $40,000 880 +64%
Pine Bluff $34,000 50 +26%

California

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bakersfield $44,000 510 +27%
Chico $43,000 40 -59%
El Centro $33,000 120 +75%
Fresno $46,000 650 +31%
Hanford $43,000 90 +100%
Los Angeles $52,000 3,540 -45%
Madera $39,000 40 -5%
Merced $41,000 150 +90%
Modesto $41,000 310 +33%
Oakland $56,000 1,230 -22%
Oxnard $41,000 200 -56%
Redding $44,000 160 +91%
Riverside $44,000 2,800 +47%
Sacramento $49,000 1,030 -25%
San Diego $51,000 1,430 -31%
San Francisco $58,000 450 -71%
San Jose $53,000 740 -48%
San Luis Obispo $44,000 100 -26%
Santa Ana $50,000 1,280 -44%
Santa Barbara $44,000 140 -45%
Santa Cruz $48,000 50 -60%
Santa Rosa $46,000 190 -28%
Stockton $42,000 420 +31%
Vallejo $51,000 190 +7%
Visalia $38,000 230 +15%
Yuba City $38,000 50 -2%

Colorado

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Boulder $46,000 100 -57%
Colorado Springs $42,000 310 -20%
Denver $47,000 2,090 +6%
Fort Collins $50,000 110 -41%
Grand Junction $49,000 190 +139%
Greeley $39,000 200 +94%
Pueblo $37,000 80 +1%

Connecticut

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bridgeport $54,000 240 -64%
Danbury $57,000 30 -69%
Hartford $46,000 760 -16%
New Haven $40,000 590 +40%
Norwich $46,000 120 -34%
Waterbury $54,000 30 -69%

Delaware

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Wilmington $46,000 360 -29%

District of Columbia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Washington $47,000 2,090 -46%

Florida

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Cape Coral $44,000 160 -46%
Deltona $34,000 120 -48%
Fort Lauderdale $45,000 790 -28%
Fort Walton Beach $38,000 50 -54%
Gainesville $40,000 80 -56%
Jacksonville $42,000 850 -10%
Lakeland $38,000 460 +60%
Miami $49,000 1,280 -17%
Naples $47,000 110 -33%
Ocala $38,000 210 +65%
Orlando $42,000 1,200 -25%
Palm Bay $43,000 310 +3%
Panama City $37,000 70 -28%
Pensacola $42,000 120 -46%
Port St Lucie $48,000 190 +8%
Sarasota $44,000 260 -31%
Tallahassee $40,000 160 -34%
Tampa $41,000 1,190 -34%
West Palm Beach $43,000 480 -41%

Georgia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albany $37,000 150 +73%
Athens $44,000 50 -50%
Atlanta $45,000 3,640 0%
Augusta $37,000 260 -17%
Brunswick $39,000 70 +27%
Columbus $38,000 90 -45%
Dalton $37,000 90 -6%
Gainesville $41,000 110 +11%
Macon $45,000 150 +14%
Rome $47,000 80 +72%
Savannah $39,000 250 +12%
Valdosta $34,000 190 +178%

Hawaii

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Honolulu $55,000 440 -36%

Idaho

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Boise $38,000 670 +66%
Coeur Dalene $41,000 80 +15%
Idaho Falls $40,000 180 +182%
Lewiston $39,000 70 +138%
Pocatello $41,000 50 +27%

Illinois

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bloomington $41,000 180 +80%
Champaign $33,000 130 -13%
Chicago $49,000 4,150 -30%
Decatur $47,000 60 -3%
Kankakee $34,000 70 +26%
Peoria $40,000 200 -22%
Rockford $53,000 260 +24%
Springfield $39,000 120 -24%

Indiana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anderson $38,000 50 -2%
Bloomington $36,000 80 -19%
Columbus $35,000 100 +96%
Elkhart $41,000 310 +95%
Evansville $40,000 340 +31%
Fort Wayne $40,000 580 +86%
Gary $44,000 700 +69%
Indianapolis $39,000 2,620 +86%
Kokomo $41,000 50 -4%
Lafayette $38,000 160 +48%
Michigan City $39,000 70 +27%
Muncie $37,000 110 +77%
South Bend $42,000 370 +92%
Terre Haute $36,000 110 +14%

Iowa

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Cedar Rapids $39,000 320 +54%
Davenport $40,000 400 +41%
Des Moines $42,000 1,090 +113%
Dubuque $37,000 150 +103%
Iowa City $40,000 120 +19%
Sioux City $37,000 160 +54%
Waterloo $39,000 260 +110%

Kansas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Manhattan $36,000 40 -45%
Topeka $40,000 210 +29%
Wichita $37,000 590 +33%

Kentucky

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bowling Green $37,000 40 -48%
Elizabethtown $34,000 70 +16%
Lexington $41,000 480 +30%
Louisville $40,000 1,360 +43%
Owensboro $32,000 100 +54%

Louisiana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Alexandria $37,000 70 -23%
Baton Rouge $40,000 590 +2%
Houma $43,000 350 +153%
Lafayette $42,000 250 +17%
Lake Charles $40,000 170 +33%
Monroe $35,000 130 +19%
New Orleans $42,000 780 -6%
Shreveport $39,000 260 -5%

Maine

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bangor $40,000 180 +109%
Lewiston $37,000 120 +73%
Portland $43,000 480 +57%

Maryland

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Baltimore $43,000 1,620 -22%
Bethesda $43,000 330 -64%
Cumberland $29,000 60 +22%
Hagerstown $40,000 160 +13%
Salisbury $43,000 100 +35%

Massachusetts

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Barnstable Town $47,000 100 -31%
Boston $50,000 1,440 -48%
Brockton $47,000 200 +53%
Framingham $48,000 130 -47%
Haverhill $49,000 80 -32%
Leominster $41,000 80 +18%
Lowell $48,000 230 +29%
New Bedford $43,000 50 -45%
Peabody $46,000 150 +0%
Pittsfield $43,000 40 -6%
Springfield $46,000 570 +24%
Taunton $46,000 60 -2%
Worcester $49,000 360 -7%

Michigan

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Ann Arbor $48,000 200 -21%
Battle Creek $30,000 50 -30%
Detroit $48,000 1,640 +56%
Flint $45,000 140 -28%
Grand Rapids $40,000 630 +7%
Holland $38,000 240 +71%
Jackson $34,000 100 +50%
Kalamazoo $38,000 210 +3%
Lansing $39,000 330 +9%
Monroe $44,000 60 +23%
Niles $39,000 60 -26%
Saginaw $35,000 170 +44%
Warren $53,000 1,280 -25%

Minnesota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Duluth $43,000 230 +19%
Mankato $38,000 180 +129%
Minneapolis $46,000 2,600 -8%
Rochester $42,000 140 -7%
St Cloud $41,000 290 +108%

Mississippi

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Gulfport $37,000 140 -12%
Hattiesburg $35,000 100 +25%
Jackson $35,000 500 +28%
Pascagoula $33,000 70 +11%

Missouri

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Cape Girardeau $41,000 220 +263%
Jefferson City $35,000 90 -15%
Joplin $32,000 340 +199%
Kansas City $42,000 1,890 +18%
Springfield $35,000 900 +210%
St Joseph $39,000 90 +28%
St Louis $42,000 1,940 -8%

Montana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Billings $43,000 330 +172%
Great Falls $40,000 50 +2%
Missoula $38,000 110 +52%

Nebraska

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Lincoln $39,000 380 +57%
Omaha $39,000 990 +34%

Nevada

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Las Vegas $49,000 850 -37%
Reno $53,000 340 +17%

New Hampshire

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Manchester $49,000 210 +38%
Nashua $43,000 160 -22%
Portsmouth $41,000 40 -50%
Rochester $41,000 40 -46%

New Jersey

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Atlantic City $48,000 170 -22%
Camden $50,000 920 +12%
Edison $50,000 1,450 -11%
Newark $48,000 1,940 +23%
Ocean City $44,000 40 -28%
Trenton $51,000 170 -51%
Vineland $45,000 190 +125%

New Mexico

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albuquerque $42,000 560 -7%
Farmington $54,000 520 +663%
Las Cruces $38,000 40 -56%

New York

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albany $43,000 820 +16%
Binghamton $37,000 170 +2%
Buffalo $38,000 930 +7%
Elmira $38,000 70 +37%
Glens Falls $40,000 130 +80%
Ithaca $50,000 30 -46%
Kingston $43,000 110 +30%
Nassau $55,000 1,500 -25%
New York $53,000 6,430 -22%
Poughkeepsie $44,000 420 +11%
Rochester $40,000 790 0%
Syracuse $42,000 540 +11%
Utica $39,000 210 +13%

North Carolina

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Asheville $37,000 270 +0%
Charlotte $42,000 1,630 +21%
Durham $38,000 210 -51%
Fayetteville $35,000 150 -20%
Goldsboro $32,000 140 +156%
Greensboro $43,000 610 +10%
Greenville $38,000 60 -37%
Hickory $37,000 220 0%
Jacksonville $35,000 40 -31%
Raleigh $42,000 620 -23%
Rocky Mount $38,000 70 -13%
Wilmington $45,000 240 +17%
Winston Salem $37,000 220 -32%

North Dakota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bismarck $38,000 200 +117%
Fargo $40,000 490 +170%
Grand Forks $42,000 110 +66%

Ohio

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Akron $44,000 530 +6%
Canton $37,000 290 +15%
Cincinnati $41,000 1,830 +14%
Cleveland $45,000 1,410 -13%
Columbus $41,000 1,680 +16%
Dayton $41,000 480 -20%
Lima $36,000 110 +52%
Mansfield $41,000 90 +26%
Sandusky $47,000 60 +30%
Springfield $37,000 240 +265%
Steubenville $40,000 110 +96%
Toledo $42,000 530 +16%
Youngstown $38,000 540 +55%

Oklahoma

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Lawton $25,000 50 -9%
Oklahoma City $45,000 1,060 +17%
Tulsa $37,000 890 +32%

Oregon

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bend $42,000 60 -33%
Eugene $42,000 350 +66%
Medford $43,000 190 +71%
Portland $47,000 2,230 +38%
Salem $44,000 270 +20%

Pennsylvania

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Allentown $43,000 640 +19%
Altoona $39,000 150 +76%
Erie $41,000 270 +41%
Harrisburg $44,000 930 +87%
Johnstown $36,000 160 +104%
Lancaster $41,000 440 +22%
Lebanon $40,000 110 +77%
Philadelphia $44,000 1,980 -34%
Pittsburgh $41,000 1,790 -1%
Reading $40,000 360 +43%
Scranton $38,000 470 +17%
State College $33,000 70 -21%
Williamsport $36,000 130 +82%
York $40,000 350 +31%

Rhode Island

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Providence $45,000 790 -10%

South Carolina

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anderson $33,000 160 +103%
Charleston $40,000 590 +32%
Columbia $40,000 640 +17%
Florence $36,000 170 +49%
Greenville $38,000 470 +1%
Myrtle Beach $39,000 90 -44%
Spartanburg $40,000 120 -30%
Sumter $36,000 90 +109%

South Dakota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Rapid City $38,000 120 +33%
Sioux Falls $40,000 410 +96%

Tennessee

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Chattanooga $41,000 300 -14%
Clarksville $36,000 200 +78%
Cleveland $31,000 50 +10%
Jackson $34,000 90 +9%
Johnson City $30,000 100 -3%
Kingsport $35,000 280 +55%
Knoxville $39,000 740 +43%
Memphis $39,000 1,240 +28%
Morristown $39,000 80 +28%
Nashville $43,000 1,610 +38%

Texas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Abilene $37,000 130 +46%
Amarillo $43,000 270 +72%
Austin $39,000 920 -26%
Beaumont $39,000 210 -14%
Brownsville $30,000 110 -43%
College Station $36,000 120 -11%
Corpus Christi $33,000 420 +55%
Dallas $41,000 3,790 +14%
El Paso $29,000 700 +66%
Fort Worth $40,000 1,580 +16%
Houston $41,000 4,560 +9%
Killeen $38,000 310 +62%
Laredo $31,000 320 +183%
Longview $36,000 230 +65%
Lubbock $38,000 160 -15%
Mcallen $32,000 360 +2%
Midland $45,000 130 +46%
Odessa $47,000 230 +191%
San Angelo $47,000 40 -29%
San Antonio $39,000 1,350 -2%
Sherman $41,000 40 -28%
Texarkana $44,000 270 +257%
Tyler $36,000 120 -9%
Victoria $33,000 70 +7%
Waco $31,000 350 +139%
Wichita Falls $35,000 90 +17%

Utah

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Logan $42,000 90 +39%
Ogden $43,000 290 -5%
Provo $41,000 90 -65%
Salt Lake City $43,000 1,520 +59%
St George $41,000 70 +12%

Vermont

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Burlington $38,000 170 +3%

Virginia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Blacksburg $42,000 200 +134%
Charlottesville $37,000 80 -36%
Danville $48,000 100 +119%
Harrisonburg $39,000 130 +66%
Lynchburg $36,000 200 +38%
Richmond $43,000 980 +1%
Roanoke $40,000 400 +70%
Virginia Beach $40,000 1,180 -1%
Winchester $42,000 110 +61%

Washington

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bellingham $51,000 160 +52%
Bremerton $50,000 80 -33%
Kennewick $48,000 160 +9%
Longview $46,000 160 +268%
Mount Vernon $45,000 200 +232%
Olympia $48,000 170 +17%
Seattle $52,000 3,190 +44%
Spokane $41,000 300 -4%
Tacoma $51,000 540 +32%
Wenatchee $44,000 160 +207%
Yakima $41,000 180 +49%

West Virginia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Charleston $38,000 390 +78%
Huntington $32,000 200 +19%
Morgantown $31,000 90 +22%
Parkersburg $33,000 150 +55%
Wheeling $32,000 90 -2%

Wisconsin

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Appleton $43,000 320 +88%
Eau Claire $44,000 170 +61%
Fond $37,000 70 +21%
Green Bay $43,000 630 +147%
Janesville $39,000 150 +68%
La Crosse $39,000 160 +56%
Madison $43,000 540 +3%
Milwaukee $44,000 1,150 -12%
Oshkosh $45,000 220 +73%
Racine $44,000 120 +13%
Sheboygan $39,000 90 +15%
Wausau $38,000 180 +92%

Wyoming

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Casper $46,000 130 +168%
Cheyenne $44,000 140 +144%
*FOOTNOTES: Job Facts salary and numbers data is based on US Department of Labor Statistics data for 2011. Other data on page may be from earlier years. Typical salary is given as median salary, where 50% in the job make more and 50% less. Salary range is Job Hunt's estimates of typical starting salary as being at the 10th percentile of reported pay and typical top end salary, for the most senior workers, as being at the 90th. Job openings is an estimate of new jobs every year due to growth plus those leaving the field. Where NA is given data is not available. Suggested studies is based on Job Hunt research, suggesting a minimum degree level that is judged to offer the best opportunities for entry-level employment. This Bus and Truck Mechanics schools and career page was originally researched by CityTownInfo.com.