Diesel Engine Operator Salary
$31K - $35.5K
2% of jobs
$35.5K - $40K
5% of jobs
$40K - $44.5K
7% of jobs
$44.5K - $49K
10% of jobs
$49.7K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$49K - $53.5K
14% of jobs
The median wage is $57.2K / yr.
$53.5K - $58K
16% of jobs
$58K - $62.5K
15% of jobs
$65.1K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$62.5K - $67K
12% of jobs
$67K - $71.5K
10% of jobs
$71.5K - $76K
6% of jobs
$76K - $80.5K
4% of jobs
$31K
$57.5K
$80.5K
$58,798
/year
$28.27
/hour
Diesel Engine Operator Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$58,798
Columbus
Ohio
$56,793
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How much does a Diesel Engine Operator make?
As of Jul 16, 2026, the average annual pay for a Diesel Engine Operator in the United States is $58,798 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $28.27 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,130/week or $4,899/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $80,500 and as low as $31,000, the majority of Diesel Engine Operator salaries currently range between $50,000 (25th percentile) to $66,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $75,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Diesel Engine Operator varies greatly (by as much as 16000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Diesel Engine Operator in your area makes on average $56,793 per year, or $2,005 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $58,798. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Diesel Engine Operator salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Diesel Engine Operator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Diesel Engine Operator on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Diesel Engine Operator Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Diesel Engine Operator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Berkeley, CA, , with Sitka, AK, and Holdrege, NE, close behind in the second and third positions. Holdrege, NE, beats the national average by $11,634 (19.8%), and Berkeley, CA, furthers that trend with another $13,196 (22.4%) above the $58,798 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Diesel Engine Operator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Berkeley, CA, and Richmond, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Diesel Engine Operator role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Berkeley, CA | $71,994 | $34.61 |
Sitka, AK | $70,832 | $34.05 |
Holdrege, NE | $70,432 | $33.86 |
Sunnyvale, CA | $69,008 | $33.18 |
San Jose, CA | $68,910 | $33.13 |
Daly City, CA | $68,129 | $32.75 |
Santa Cruz, CA | $67,892 | $32.64 |
Arlington, VA | $67,644 | $32.52 |
Oakland, CA | $67,528 | $32.47 |
Richmond, CA | $67,480 | $32.44 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Diesel Engine Operator Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Diesel Engine Operator category.
For example Vessel Engineer jobs pay as much as $52,834 (89.9%) more than the average Diesel Engine Operator salary of $58,798. If you're qualified, finding work as a Vessel Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Diesel Engine Operator position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Vessel Engineer | $111,632 | $53.67 |
Civil Structural Engineer | $102,279 | $49.17 |
Chief Structural Engineer | $99,400 | $47.79 |
Marine Electrical Officer | $58,741 | $28.24 |
Below Deck Crew | $44,261 | $21.28 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
