Maintains, inspects and repairs roller coasters and theme park rides, often working overnight so rides are ready when the gates open. BLS does not publish separate figures for industrial machinery mechanics; it counts them within industrial machinery mechanic (SOC 49-9041), whose median pay is $64,520 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 49-9041
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Amusement Ride Technician in four numbers
- Median pay
- $64,520a year, or $31.02/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $46KTop 10% $95K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +17.8%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+17.8%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +17.8% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 44,400446,900 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025446.9K
- Projected 2035526.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 446.9K Projected 2035 526.6K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school39.1%
- Certificate47.2%
- Associate's13.7%
Highest education held by industrial machinery mechanics Segment Value High school 39.1% Certificate 47.2% Associate's 13.7%
Also advertised as: Ride Maintenance Technician, Ride Mechanic, Roller Coaster Mechanic, Theme Park Ride Technician, Attractions Maintenance Technician.
Pay
How much do Industrial Machinery Mechanics make?
Every amusement ride technician in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$64,520
Middle half earn $55,010 to $78,780
- 10th
- $46,120
- 25th
- $55,010
- 75th
- $78,780
- 90th
- $95,170
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $46,120 |
| 25th | $55,010 |
| Median | $64,520 |
| 75th | $78,780 |
| 90th | $95,170 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $64,520
- Median hourly wage
- $31.02/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $68,460
- People employed
- 439,640
Versus all US occupations
At $64,520, Industrial Machinery Mechanics earn 27% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $13,540 a year.
Versus installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
Inside the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair group, where the middle occupation pays $61,150, this is 6% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $95,170 or more while the bottom 10% earn $46,120, a gap of 2.1×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 40% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($87,670), but once local prices are taken into account Wyoming leads at $84,496 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Industrial Machinery Mechanics the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $87,670 | $79,772 | 200 |
| 2Wyoming | $78,320 | $84,496 | 2,010 |
| 3Nevada | $77,750 | $77,766 | 2,240 |
| 4Alaska | $77,390 | $75,606 | 860 |
| 5Hawaii | $77,330 | $70,331 | 910 |
| 6Washington | $77,220 | $72,159 | 10,710 |
| 7Illinois | $76,200 | $76,232 | 12,100 |
| 8Oregon | $75,670 | $73,209 | 7,070 |
| 9Colorado | $75,600 | $73,361 | 7,260 |
| 10Arizona | $74,790 | $74,287 | 5,020 |
Job outlook
Is Amusement Ride Technician a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +17.8% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | +17.8% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Industrial Machinery Mechanics to change 17.8% over 2025–2035, roughly 5.1× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 79,700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 44,400 openings are projected each year, 9.9% of the 446,900 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an Amusement Ride Technician
Many ride technicians have a high school diploma plus training in industrial maintenance, mechatronics, electrical or hydraulic systems from a community college or the military. Large theme parks hire entry-level technicians and train them on specific rides, often with tiered levels for mechanical, electrical and controls skills.
Industry certifications help technicians advance. The National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials and Amusement Industry Manufacturers and Suppliers International both offer ride inspection and maintenance certifications, and IAAPA provides industry training. Ride manufacturers also run training on their own equipment.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as industrial machinery mechanics.
- Post-Secondary Certificate47.2%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)39.1%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree13.7%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 47.2% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 39.1% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 13.7% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does an Amusement Ride Technician do?
Amusement ride technicians keep roller coasters, water rides and theme park attractions running safely. Each day before opening, they perform detailed inspections of track, wheels, restraints, brakes and sensors, then test-run the ride before guests board.
The rest of the job is preventive maintenance and repair: replacing wheel assemblies, rebuilding gearboxes, servicing hydraulics and pneumatics, troubleshooting programmable logic controllers and sensors, and responding when a ride goes down during operating hours. During the off-season, technicians tear down and rebuild ride trains and components. They keep detailed maintenance records, since inspectors and park safety teams review them.
Day-to-day tasks
- Perform daily opening inspections of track, trains and restraints
- Test-run rides and confirm safety systems function correctly
- Replace wheels, bearings, brakes and other wear parts
- Troubleshoot PLCs, sensors and electrical controls
- Service hydraulic and pneumatic systems
- Respond to ride breakdowns during operating hours
- Rebuild ride vehicles and components during the off-season
- Record maintenance and inspection work in ride logs
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Ride technicians work outdoors and in ride buildings at theme parks and amusement parks, often on overnight or early-morning shifts. They climb ride structures, work at height with fall protection and handle heavy parts. Schedules are busiest in summer, and seasonal parks shift to rebuild work in winter.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantLittle or no dealing with customers or the public.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Critical Thinking3.6
- Active Listening3.1
- Active Learning3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Speaking3.0
- Reading Comprehension2.9
- Writing2.8
- Learning Strategies2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.6 |
| Active Listening | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Speaking | 3.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.9 |
| Writing | 2.8 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operations Monitoring4.0
- Operation and Control4.0
- Equipment Maintenance4.0
- Troubleshooting4.0
- Repairing4.0
- Quality Control Analysis3.8
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Equipment Selection3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 4.0 |
| Operation and Control | 4.0 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 4.0 |
| Troubleshooting | 4.0 |
| Repairing | 4.0 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Equipment Selection | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Facilities management software
- Industrial control software
- Internet browser software
- Inventory management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Amusement Ride Technician?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code RCI) built on O*NET's Industrial Machinery Mechanic profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Amusement Ride Technician |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic7.0
- Conventional5.0
- Investigative3.9
- Enterprising1.2
- Artistic1.0
- Social1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Amusement Ride Technician
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More installation, maintenance, and repair careers
Median annual pay, with industrial machinery mechanics highlighted
- Aircraft Mechanic$79,870
- Millwright$65,700
- Industrial Machinery Mechanic$64,520
- Amusement Ride Technician$64,520
- Bus and Truck Mechanic and Diesel Engine Specialist$61,770
- Medical Equipment Repairer$61,660
- Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanic and Installer$61,010
- Automotive Body and Related Repairer$54,890
- Automotive Service Technician and Mechanic$50,620
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Aircraft Mechanic | $79,870 |
| Millwright | $65,700 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $64,520 |
| Amusement Ride Technician | $64,520 |
| Bus and Truck Mechanic and Diesel Engine Specialist | $61,770 |
| Medical Equipment Repairer | $61,660 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanic and Installer | $61,010 |
| Automotive Body and Related Repairer | $54,890 |
| Automotive Service Technician and Mechanic | $50,620 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Amusement Ride Technician appears on
Questions
Amusement Ride Technician: frequently asked questions
How much do Industrial Machinery Mechanics make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for industrial machinery mechanics. It counts them within industrial machinery mechanic, whose median pay is $64,520 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $55,010 and $78,780, and the top 10% earn $95,170 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Amusement Ride Technician?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Industrial Machinery Mechanics. BLS also lists long-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 47.2% hold post-secondary certificate.
Is Amusement Ride Technician a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 17.8% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 44,400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Amusement Ride Technician do?
Amusement ride technicians keep roller coasters, water rides and theme park attractions running safely. A typical task: perform daily opening inspections of track, trains and restraints. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Enterprise resource planning ERP software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Industrial Machinery Mechanics the most?
The highest state medians for Industrial Machinery Mechanics are District of Columbia ($87,670), Wyoming ($78,320), Nevada ($77,750) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Wyoming moves to the top at $84,496.
What personality type suits an Amusement Ride Technician?
O*NET scores Industrial Machinery Mechanics highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.