How to become a diesel mechanic in Australia
Diesel Motor Mechanics maintain, test and repair diesel motors and the mechanical parts of trucks, buses and other heavy vehicles such as transmissions, suspension, steering and brakes.
Pay and growth are for the wider motor mechanics group, which is as fine as the data goes. The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the motor mechanics group are projected to grow 7.5% between May 2025 and May 2035, slower than the 13.3% projected for all jobs. Projections are indicative, not forecasts, and JSA says they don't yet reflect generative AI.
What the job involves
- Detects and diagnoses faults in engines and parts.
- Dismantles and removes engine assemblies, transmissions, steering mechanisms and other components, and checks parts.
- Repairs and replaces worn and defective parts and reassembles mechanical components, and refers to service manuals as needed.
- Reassembles engines and parts after being repaired.
- Tests and adjusts mechanical parts after being repaired for proper performance, diagnoses and tests parts with the assistance of computers.
- May inspect vehicles and issue roadworthiness certificates or detail work required to achieve roadworthiness.
How to get there
What it usually takes. A Certificate III or IV, including at least two years of on-the-job training where it is a Certificate III. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the motor mechanics group, and some roles differ.
What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 1% a degree or higher, 3% a diploma, 72% a Certificate III or IV.
Apprenticeship or traineeship. Diesel Technician is on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List (1 April 2026), with qualifications including Certificate III in Automotive Diesel Fuel Technology, Certificate III in Automotive Diesel Engine Technology, Certificate III in Engineering - Fixed and Mobile Plant Mechanic. Find a provider at Your Career or your state's TAFE.
Many jobs also need registration, a licence or a specific accredited course. Check the professional body or regulator before you choose.
Courses that can lead here
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We haven't matched this job to courses in the admissions lists. It usually starts with training on the job or at a registered training provider, not a course through an admissions centre. See Your Career.
Does it fit your interests?
Strongest interest areas for this kind of work: Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.
From O*NET ratings for "Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a acceptable match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.
Careers with similar interests
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Share your storyJob data: © Commonwealth of Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, February 2026 and Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 (Victoria University), CC BY 4.0. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.2 to O*NET-SOC 2019 Taxonomy correspondence.
Apprenticeships: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Australian Apprenticeships Priority List, 1 April 2026.
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Curve ATAR has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.