Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
SOC Code: 49-3031
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists carries a 23% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $60,640 and +2.4% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 319,900 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 23% AI exposure, Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists sits 14 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 9% of them. It ranks among the more AI-resilient roles in the dataset.
Career outlook score
63/100
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage C- $60,640
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth D +2.4%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A+ 23% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Average (378 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
23% Among the lowest lower than 91% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 49-3031) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Use handtools, such as screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, pressure gauges, or precision instruments, as well as power tools, such as pneumatic wrenches, lathes, welding equipment, or jacks and hoists.
- 2. Inspect brake systems, steering mechanisms, wheel bearings, and other important parts to ensure that they are in proper operating condition.
- 3. Raise trucks, buses, and heavy parts or equipment using hydraulic jacks or hoists.
- 4. Adjust and reline brakes, align wheels, tighten bolts and screws, and reassemble equipment.
- 5. Attach test instruments to equipment, and read dials and gauges to diagnose malfunctions.
- 6. Perform routine maintenance such as changing oil, checking batteries, and lubricating equipment and machinery.
- 7. Examine and adjust protective guards, loose bolts, and specified safety devices.
- 8. Inspect, test, and listen to defective equipment to diagnose malfunctions, using test instruments such as handheld computers, motor analyzers, chassis charts, or pressure gauges.
- 9. Rewire ignition systems, lights, and instrument panels.
- 10. Test drive trucks and buses to diagnose malfunctions or to ensure that they are working properly.
Key Skills Required
- Troubleshooting
- Repairing
- Operations Monitoring
- Equipment Maintenance
- Critical Thinking
- Quality Control Analysis
- Speaking
- Equipment Selection
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Active Listening
Knowledge Areas
- Mechanical
- Transportation
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
- Production and Processing
- Customer and Personal Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists?
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists has an AI exposure score of 23%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists is projected to grow by 2.4% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 319,900 workers.
What skills are needed for Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists?
Key skills for Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists include Troubleshooting, Repairing, Operations Monitoring, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists earn?
The median annual wage for Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists is $60,640, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists?
The typical entry-level education for Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Long-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists?
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (23% here).
- Dietitians and nutritionists · AI exposure 23%
- Home appliance repairers · AI exposure 23%
- Psychiatric technicians · AI exposure 23%
- Respiratory therapists · AI exposure 23%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+2.4% here).
- Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary · growth +2.4%
- Grounds maintenance workers, all other · growth +2.4%
- Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other · growth +2.4%
- Recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary · growth +2.4%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 35 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).