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Diesel mechanic training in California

9 diesel mechanic programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

9 schools offer these diesel mechanic programs, and California has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Diesel mechanics inspect and repair buses and trucks and maintain diesel engines of every kind. Community colleges and technical schools offer certificates and degrees in diesel repair, employers may require or prefer certification, and some jobs need a commercial driver's license to test-drive trucks and buses.1 In California, 2 of the 9 programs take students without a high school diploma, and 2 are taught partly or fully online.

See the 9 programs

How much does diesel mechanic training cost in California?

$1,794 to $12,514 is what most diesel mechanic programs in California cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 8 programs with a price. All of them: $1,100 to $41,450

In the typical program

Finished the program
90%
Working 6 months later
51%
Earned a year, estimated
about $42,500
Length
36 to 70 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in California may also offer diesel mechanic training. How these figures are made

Is there free diesel mechanic training in California?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

Diesel mechanic training in Los Angeles, Riverside, Fresno and other California cities

Choosing an area filters the list below.

All 9 diesel mechanic programs in California approved for WIOA funding

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Kind of program
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9 programs

  • Diesel mechanic apprenticeshipHybridNo diploma needed

    CAT Apprenticeship Program

    San Joaquin Delta College

    Stockton

    No diploma needed

    San Joaquin Delta College, Stockton · Diesel mechanic apprenticeship · Hybrid · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimated$54,800
    Price if you pay yourselfNot reported
    More details about CAT Apprenticeship Program at San Joaquin Delta College
    Finished
    96%
    Working at 6 months
    66%
    Earned in a quarter
    $13,699
    Length
    70 weeks, 38 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    1,313
    a year, estimated
    $54,800
    price
    Not reported

  • Diesel technician certificate or diplomaIn personNo diploma needed

    Diesel Mechanic Technician

    Harbor Occupational Center - LAUSD

    San Pedro

    No diploma needed

    Harbor Occupational Center - LAUSD, San Pedro · Diesel technician certificate or diploma · In person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimated$59,000
    Price if you pay yourself$1,890

    5 students trained with WIOA funding

    Program website, Diesel Mechanic Technician at Harbor Occupational Center - LAUSD
    More details about Diesel Mechanic Technician at Harbor Occupational Center - LAUSD
    Finished
    52%
    Working at 6 months
    68%
    Earned in a quarter
    $14,742
    Length
    18 weeks, 30 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $735
    Students counted
    593
    a year, estimated
    $59,000
    price
    $1,890
    trained with WIOA funding
    5

  • Diesel technician certificate or diplomaIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Diesel Technology II (295)

    Universal Technical Institute of Southern California Inc.

    Long Beach

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Universal Technical Institute of Southern California Inc., Long Beach · Diesel technician certificate or diploma · In person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$42,500
    Price if you pay yourself$41,450
    Program website, Diesel Technology II (295) at Universal Technical Institute of Southern California Inc.
    More details about Diesel Technology II (295) at Universal Technical Institute of Southern California Inc.
    Finished
    57%
    Working at 6 months
    29%
    Earned in a quarter
    $10,624
    Length
    45 weeks, 27 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $680
    Students counted
    593
    a year, estimated
    $42,500
    price
    $41,450

  • Diesel technician certificate or diplomaIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Diesel Technology II (290)

    Universal Technical Institute of California, Inc.

    Rancho Cucamonga

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Universal Technical Institute of California, Inc., Rancho Cucamonga · Diesel technician certificate or diploma · In person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$41,600
    Price if you pay yourself$41,450
    More details about Diesel Technology II (290) at Universal Technical Institute of California, Inc.
    Finished
    84%
    Working at 6 months
    36%
    Earned in a quarter
    $10,400
    Length
    45 weeks, 50 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $680
    Students counted
    229
    a year, estimated
    $41,600
    price
    $41,450

  • Medium and heavy truck technicianIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Medium/Heavy Truck Service and Repair

    Reedley Community College

    Reedley

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Reedley Community College, Reedley · Medium and heavy truck technician · In person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$28,800
    Price if you pay yourself$2,868
    Program website, Medium/Heavy Truck Service and Repair at Reedley Community College
    More details about Medium/Heavy Truck Service and Repair at Reedley Community College
    Finished
    100%
    Working at 6 months
    100%
    Earned in a quarter
    $7,210
    Length
    48 weeks, 34 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,642
    Students counted
    58
    a year, estimated
    $28,800
    price
    $2,868

  • Diesel technician certificate or diplomaIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Diesel Equipment Technology

    Merced College

    Merced

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Merced College, Merced · Diesel technician certificate or diploma · In person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$1,518
    School website, Diesel Equipment Technology at Merced College
    More details about Diesel Equipment Technology at Merced College
    Finished
    100%
    Working at 6 months
    16%
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    36 weeks, 32 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $531
    Students counted
    48
    a year, estimated
    Not reported
    price
    $1,518

  • Diesel technician certificate or diplomaHybridHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Diesel Technology

    Fresno City College

    Fresno

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Fresno City College, Fresno · Diesel technician certificate or diploma · Hybrid · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$2,720
    Program website, Diesel Technology at Fresno City College
    More details about Diesel Technology at Fresno City College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    90 weeks, 30 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $540
    Students counted
    36
    a year, estimated
    Not reported
    price
    $2,720

  • Diesel technician certificate or diplomaIn personPrerequisite courses

    BC AUTO-Light Duty Diesel Performance

    Kern Community College District

    Bakersfield

    Prerequisite courses

    Kern Community College District, Bakersfield · Diesel technician certificate or diploma · In person · Prerequisite courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$1,100
    School website, BC AUTO-Light Duty Diesel Performance at Kern Community College District
    More details about BC AUTO-Light Duty Diesel Performance at Kern Community College District
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    32 weeks, 18 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,600
    Students counted
    Not reported
    a year, estimated
    Not reported
    price
    $1,100

  • Medium and heavy truck technicianIn personPrerequisite courses

    Heavy/Medium Duty Diesel Truck Technology

    San Bernardino Valley College

    San Bernardino

    Prerequisite courses

    San Bernardino Valley College, San Bernardino · Medium and heavy truck technician · In person · Prerequisite courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$1,886
    Program website, Heavy/Medium Duty Diesel Truck Technology at San Bernardino Valley College
    More details about Heavy/Medium Duty Diesel Truck Technology at San Bernardino Valley College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    96 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,935
    Students counted
    Not reported
    a year, estimated
    Not reported
    price
    $1,886

How to pay for diesel mechanic training in California

WIOA funding can pay for diesel mechanic training in California

Every program on this page is approved for WIOA funding: public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It can pay for training for eligible adults, people who lost their job and young people.2People on public assistance, with a low income or lacking basic skills come first, and veterans have priority.3Your state or local area may limit how much WIOA pays and for how long. If a program costs more, a Pell Grant, a scholarship or severance pay can cover the rest.4

Ask at an American Job Center

Eligibility rules apply, and services vary from state to state. Your local American Job Center can tell you whether you qualify. The Department of Labor's page links to the center finder, or call 1-877-US-2JOBS (1-877-872-5627).5

Financial aid and grants for diesel mechanic training

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.67

GI Bill for diesel mechanic training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.8

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Does WIOA pay for job training? Who qualifies and how to apply

Quick facts: Diesel mechanic training in California

programs with a price cost under $2,000
4 of 8
lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
1st of 26
other states where the typical program's graduates earned less
10 of 13
diesel mechanic programs here, against the typical state's 8
9 vs 8

State comparisons use the same figures as the diesel mechanic training by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

Where the California diesel mechanic program numbers come from

Which California diesel mechanic programs are on this list?

These are the diesel mechanic programs California approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).9 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what California offers.

How California diesel mechanic program prices are reported

The price is tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported it. "Trained with WIOA funding" on a program counts the people whose training there WIOA paid toward through a training account in program year 2024; the file never gives counts under 3, so a program without the line may still take WIOA students. It does not say how much of the price WIOA covered. Prices under $100 are treated as not reported, because the file holds many blanks entered as $0. Check the current price with the school.

What the graduate results of these programs measure

The figures at the top of this page are the middle program among those that report results: half did better, half did worse. Results describe students who left each program in recent years: the share who finished, the share working in the second quarter after leaving, and the middle earnings of those working in that quarter. States report earnings for that one quarter because they take them from the wage reports employers file every three months. The yearly figure here is that quarter times four, rounded to the nearest $100: an estimate, and an early one, since it is measured about half a year after training. The quarter as reported is under "More details" on each program. Results are withheld for small programs, and they describe past students, so they are no guarantee.

Why do some diesel mechanic programs say "Not reported"?

Where a school or the state left a field empty, or the Department of Labor withheld it, the page says "Not reported". Nothing here is estimated to fill a gap.

Why the kind of school is left off each program

The file also records whether a school is public, private or nonprofit, but those entries are wrong too often to print next to a school's name, so this page leaves them out.

Other training in California

Sources for the facts about diesel mechanic training in California

Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Diesel Service Technicians and Mechanics
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220 and 680.310: career services before training, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  8. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  9. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List