---
title: "Engine and Other Machine Assembler"
description: "Construct, assemble, or rebuild machines, such as engines, turbines, and similar equipment used in such industries as construction, extraction, textiles…"
canonical: "https://nuecareer.com/careers/engine-and-other-machine-assembler"
last-updated: "2026-10-09T10:57:55.138Z"
---

# Engine and Other Machine Assembler

**Category:** Production · **SOC code:** 51-2031 · **O\*NET-SOC code:** 51-2031.00

Construct, assemble, or rebuild machines, such as engines, turbines, and similar equipment used in such industries as construction, extraction, textiles, and paper manufacturing.

Also advertised as: Assembler; Assembly Line Worker; Cell Technician; Engine Assembler; Engine Builder; Field Service Technician; Fitter; Large Engine Assembler.

## At a glance

- **Median annual wage:** $53,710 (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- **Median hourly wage:** $25.82/hr
- **Wage range (10th–90th percentile):** $38,500 to $77,750, with the middle half between $45,230 and $74,920
- **Total US employment:** 34,000
- **Typical entry education:** High school
- **Preparation required:** Little or no preparation — O\*NET rates this "Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed"
- **Projected growth:** -17.0% over 2025–2035 (BLS EP, 2025–2035)
- **Annual job openings:** 2,100 openings a year
- **AI-resilience score:** 58/100 — a NueCareer heuristic over O\*NET work activities and context, not a BLS or O\*NET figure

## Pay

National wage distribution, BLS OEWS, May 2025, across 34,000 US jobs.

| Percentile | Annual wage |
| --- | --- |
| 10th | $38,500 |
| 25th | $45,230 |
| 50th (median) | $53,710 |
| 75th | $74,920 |
| 90th | $77,750 |
| Mean (average) | $57,790 |

### Pay by state

The 15 highest-paying states, by median annual wage. The cost-of-living-adjusted column divides the state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, so the columns answer different questions: the first is what the job pays there, the second is what that pay buys there.

| State | Median annual wage | Cost-of-living adjusted | Employment |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| OH | $74,750 | $80,572 | 3,430 |
| WA | $72,800 | $68,029 | 370 |
| NH | $70,150 | $67,345 | 160 |
| OR | $63,420 | $61,358 | 110 |
| CT | $61,320 | $59,183 | 170 |
| MI | $60,950 | $63,346 | 5,030 |
| MN | $58,820 | $59,642 | 270 |
| AR | $54,620 | $62,827 | 70 |
| ID | $54,240 | $56,799 | 70 |
| WI | $54,240 | $57,644 | 860 |
| AZ | $54,100 | $53,736 | 80 |
| FL | $52,660 | $50,922 | 800 |
| PA | $52,000 | $53,294 | 90 |
| NJ | $50,910 | $46,790 | 140 |
| IL | $49,630 | $49,651 | 650 |

20 more states with published wage data are omitted here. The full table for all 35 states is at https://nuecareer.com/careers/engine-and-other-machine-assembler/salary-by-state, or as JSON at https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/engine-and-other-machine-assembler.

## Outlook

BLS projects employment to move from 33,500 in the 2025–2035 base year to 27,800 by the end of the cycle — a loss of 5,700 jobs, or -17.0%. Declining: -17.0% against 3.5% projected for all occupations over the same cycle. About 2,100 openings a year are expected on average, counting openings from growth as well as from workers leaving the occupation permanently. Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035.

## How to get in

- **Typical entry education:** High school diploma or equivalent (BLS Employment Projections).
- **Preparation level:** Little or no preparation — O\*NET's preparation band for this occupation is "Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed".
- **Related work experience typically required:** None.
- **Typical on-the-job training:** Moderate-term on-the-job training.

### Education people in this job actually hold

O\*NET surveys incumbents, so this distribution describes who is in the job today and can differ from the BLS entry requirement above.

| Education level | Share of workers |
| --- | --- |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 64.1% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 12.9% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 11.2% |
| Master's Degree | 7.2% |
| Some College Courses | 4.7% |

## What the work involves

- Rework, repair, or replace damaged parts or assemblies.
- Position or align components for assembly, manually or using hoists.
- Remove rough spots and smooth surfaces to fit, trim, or clean parts, using hand tools or power tools.
- Fasten or install piping, fixtures, or wiring and electrical components to form assemblies or subassemblies, using hand tools, rivet guns, or welding equipment.
- Read and interpret assembly blueprints or specifications manuals, and plan assembly or building operations.
- Inspect, operate, and test completed products to verify functioning, machine capabilities, or conformance to customer specifications.
- Set and verify parts clearances.
- Verify conformance of parts to stock lists or blueprints, using measuring instruments such as calipers, gauges, or micrometers.

## Skills and knowledge

### Essential skills

- Reading Comprehension — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Listening — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Speaking — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Critical Thinking — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Monitoring — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Learning — importance 2.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Writing — importance 2.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Mathematics — importance 2.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Transferable skills

These are the skills that carry into other occupations, and they drive the related-occupation and career-change rankings on this site.

- Operations Monitoring — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Quality Control Analysis — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Social Perceptiveness — importance 2.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Complex Problem Solving — importance 2.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Operation and Control — importance 2.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Equipment Maintenance — importance 2.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Troubleshooting — importance 2.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Repairing — importance 2.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Knowledge areas

- Mechanical — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Production and Processing — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Customer and Personal Service — importance 3.2 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Engineering and Technology — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Mathematics — importance 2.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Public Safety and Security — importance 2.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Abilities

- Arm-Hand Steadiness — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Manual Dexterity — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Finger Dexterity — importance 3.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Near Vision — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Visualization — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Problem Sensitivity — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

## Who it suits

O\*NET rates every occupation on the six Holland (RIASEC) interest areas, on a 1–7 scale. This occupation's strongest areas are Realistic (R), Conventional (C).

| Interest area | Score (1–7) |
| --- | --- |
| R — Realistic | 7.00 |
| C — Conventional | 4.39 |
| I — Investigative | 2.69 |
| A — Artistic | 1.23 |
| E — Enterprising | 1.07 |
| S — Social | 1.00 |

### Personality fit

These scores are **derived by NueCareer**, not published by any government agency: they are cosine similarities between a personality type's trait profile and this occupation's O\*NET interest and work-style ratings, expressed 0–100. Treat them as a starting point for exploration, not as evidence that a type belongs in a job.

| Type | Fit score (0–100) |
| --- | --- |
| ISTJ | 90.3 |
| ISTP | 79.1 |
| ISFJ | 73.6 |
| ESTJ | 71.5 |
| INTJ | 69.1 |

Best-fitting types: ISTJ.

## Related occupations

O\*NET's primary related occupations, in its own ranked order.

- [Aircraft Structure, Surface, Rigging, and Systems Assembler](https://nuecareer.com/careers/aircraft-structure-surface-rigging-and-systems-assembler) — median $65,380
- [Electromechanical Equipment Assembler](https://nuecareer.com/careers/electromechanical-equipment-assembler) — median $45,930
- [Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairer](https://nuecareer.com/careers/electric-motor-power-tool-and-related-repairer) — median $56,210
- [Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assembler](https://nuecareer.com/careers/electrical-and-electronic-equipment-assembler) — median $45,930
- [Industrial Machinery Mechanic](https://nuecareer.com/careers/industrial-machinery-mechanic) — median $64,520
- [Rail Car Repairer](https://nuecareer.com/careers/rail-car-repairer) — median $67,530
- [Control and Valve Installer and Repairer, Except Mechanical Door](https://nuecareer.com/careers/control-and-valve-installer-and-repairer) — median $74,340
- [Millwright](https://nuecareer.com/careers/millwright) — median $65,700
- [Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanic, Except Engines](https://nuecareer.com/careers/mobile-heavy-equipment-mechanic) — median $65,510
- [Bus and Truck Mechanic and Diesel Engine Specialist](https://nuecareer.com/careers/bus-and-truck-mechanic-and-diesel-engine-specialist) — median $61,770

## Sources

- **O\*NET** — O\*NET 31.0 Database, August 2026. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS OEWS** — BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS EP** — BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2, 2025–2035. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **BLS OOH** — BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/
- **BEA RPP** — BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024. https://www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area

---

This bank 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 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. NueCareer has transformed the data by joining it to BLS wage and projection data and deriving facet, personality-fit and AI-resilience scores. BLS and BEA data are public domain (17 U.S.C. §105).

O\*NET content is used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). How these figures are sourced and derived: https://nuecareer.com/careers/methodology

JSON representation of this page: https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/engine-and-other-machine-assembler