Career
Industrial machinery mechanics
Keep factory machinery running.
$64,520
Median pay
+17.8%
Job growth, 2025–35
44,400
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Repair or maintain the operating condition of industrial production or processing machinery or equipment.
- Repair or replace broken or malfunctioning components of machinery or equipment.
- Clean, lubricate, or adjust parts, equipment, or machinery.
- Disassemble machinery or equipment to remove parts and make repairs.
- Reassemble equipment after completion of inspections, testing, or repairs.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Repair or maintain the operating condition of industrial production or processing machinery or equipment.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Troubleshooting, Equipment Maintenance, Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though long-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $64,520 a year and 44,400 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology/TechnicianCIP 47.0303
- Energy Systems Installation and Repair Technology/TechnicianCIP 47.0701
- Hydroelectric Energy System Installation and Repair Technology/TechnicianCIP 47.0705
- Geothermal Energy System Installation and Repair Technology/TechnicianCIP 47.0706
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Maintenance Workers, Machinery$60,850 · -1.9%
- Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers$56,210 · +4.4%
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,180 · +0.6%
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines$65,510 · +6.7%
- Engine and Other Machine Assemblers$53,710 · -17.0%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.