Diesel mechanic
Heavy-vehicle trade diagnosing and repairing diesel-powered trucks, buses, plant and earth-moving equipment.
Jobs, demand and who does this work
Figures for the ANZSCO occupation Diesel Motor Mechanic (321212), the closest official match for diesel mechanic, from Your Career (Jobs and Skills Australia data, sourced 2026-09-23).
- Median weekly earnings (full-time)
- $1,405
- People employed
- 7,400
- Future demand
- Stable
- Work full-time
- 93%
- Average full-time hours
- 46 a week
- Women
- 1%
- Median age
- 32
Where the jobs are (share of workers)
| NSW | 25.4% |
| VIC | 29% |
| QLD | 20.5% |
| WA | 9.2% |
| SA | 11% |
| TAS | 2.9% |
| ACT | 0.6% |
| NT | 1.2% |
Highest qualification held by workers
| Postgraduate qualification | 0.2% |
| Bachelor degree | 1.2% |
| Diploma or advanced diploma | 2.9% |
| Certificate I-IV | 72% |
| Year 12 | 8.9% |
| Below Year 12 | 12.9% |
What a diesel mechanic actually does
Diesel mechanics work the heavy end of mechanical trades. Dealership truck techs start 7-8am with a job sheet of service intervals, warranty work and breakdowns. Workshop days mix engine, transmission and driveline jobs on prime movers, trucks, buses and earthmoving equipment. Field service techs spend more time on the road in a service ute, going out to broken-down trucks on highways or to plant on civil and mining sites. Mining FIFO maintenance is one of the biggest employers - dump trucks, excavators, drills and crushers all need scheduled maintenance and break-fix work. Shifts on site run 10-12 hours on a 14/7 or 8/6 roster. Modern diesels are increasingly software-driven - scan-tool diagnostics and OEM programming are core skills. The work involves heavy components, hot exhaust gases, hydraulic oil and the constant risk of being under or near big machines. Pay is consistently among the highest in the trades, especially on site work and FIFO.
Skills you'll use
- Reading workshop manuals and electrical schematics
- Diesel engine, transmission and driveline diagnosis
- Hydraulic system fault-finding and repair
- Air brake and ABS testing
- Scan-tool diagnostics and ECU programming
- Heavy-vehicle electrical and CAN bus
- Welding and fabrication for repair work
How to become one
- 1Finish Year 10 or above with maths and English
- 2Sign a 4-year apprenticeship with a truck dealership, mining contractor or Group Training Organisation
- 3Complete the AUR31120 Certificate III in Heavy Commercial Vehicle Mechanical Technology through TAFE
- 4Add a Heavy Rigid (HR) or Heavy Combination (HC) truck licence to road-test vehicles
- 5Obtain site induction tickets (mining/Construction Industry standard) for FIFO work
- 6For self-employment - register the motor vehicle repair business in your state
Where you can work
- Truck dealerships (Kenworth, Volvo, Scania, Isuzu, etc.)
- Bus operators and councils with bus fleets
- Mining and resources sites (WA Pilbara, central QLD, NT)
- Civil construction plant maintenance
- Defence vehicle workshops
- Farm machinery dealerships in agricultural regions
- Self-employed mobile diesel mechanic
Career progression
Typical stages and roles. Apprentice and tradesperson pay is set by the modern award or enterprise agreement that covers the job; check it with the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool.
- Apprentice4 yearsTypical roles: First-year apprentice diesel tech, Fourth-year apprentice diesel tech
- Tradesperson0-4 yearsTypical roles: Truck dealership tech, Field service tech, Plant mechanic
- FIFO or senior tech5-10 yearsTypical roles: FIFO maintenance tech, Mine site mechanic, Workshop foreman
- Workshop owner or supervisor8+ yearsTypical roles: Workshop owner, Maintenance superintendent, OEM technical trainer
Is this for you?
You might love this if
- You're comfortable around very large, heavy machines
- You enjoy diagnostic work that mixes mechanical, hydraulic and electrical
- You can tolerate FIFO rosters and time away from home
- You handle dirty, oily and noisy work without complaint
- You can lift heavy parts safely with hoists and trolleys
This might not suit you if
- You can't commit to 4 years of low apprentice pay
- You have a back or shoulder injury that limits heavy work
- You don't want a remote-site or FIFO lifestyle
- You can't tolerate exposure to diesel particulates and hydraulic oil
Entry requirements
- Year 10 or equivalent
- A signed apprenticeship training contract with a host employer.
State licensing
This trade requires a state licence on top of the apprenticeship qualification.
| State | Licensing authority |
|---|---|
| NSW | NSW Fair Trading (motor vehicle repairer licence for the business, tradesperson certificate for the repairer) |
| VIC | No trade-specific licence listed |
| QLD | No trade-specific licence listed |
| SA | No trade-specific licence listed |
| WA | Motor Vehicle Repair Industry Authority WA (motor vehicle repairer's certificate) |
| TAS | No trade-specific licence listed |
| NT | No trade-specific licence listed |
| ACT | No trade-specific licence listed |