---
title: "Industrial Machinery Mechanic"
description: "Repair, install, adjust, or maintain industrial production and processing machinery or refinery and pipeline distribution systems. May also install…"
canonical: "https://nuecareer.com/careers/industrial-machinery-mechanic"
last-updated: "2026-08-23T15:56:39.581Z"
---

# Industrial Machinery Mechanic

**Category:** Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · **SOC code:** 49-9041 · **O\*NET-SOC code:** 49-9041.00

Repair, install, adjust, or maintain industrial production and processing machinery or refinery and pipeline distribution systems. May also install, dismantle, or move machinery and heavy equipment according to plans.

Also advertised as: Industrial Machinery Mechanic; Industrial Mechanic; Loom Fixer; Loom Technician; Machine Adjuster; Machine Mechanic; Maintenance Technician; Mechanic.

## At a glance

- **Median annual wage:** $64,520 (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- **Median hourly wage:** $31.02/hr
- **Wage range (10th–90th percentile):** $46,120 to $95,170, with the middle half between $55,010 and $78,780
- **Total US employment:** 439,640
- **Typical entry education:** High school
- **Preparation required:** Some preparation — O\*NET rates this "Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed"
- **Projected growth:** +16.1% over 2024–2034 (BLS EP, 2024–2034)
- **Annual job openings:** 45,700 openings a year
- **AI-resilience score:** 55/100 — 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 439,640 US jobs.

| Percentile | Annual wage |
| --- | --- |
| 10th | $46,120 |
| 25th | $55,010 |
| 50th (median) | $64,520 |
| 75th | $78,780 |
| 90th | $95,170 |
| Mean (average) | $68,460 |

### 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| DC | $87,670 | $79,772 | 200 |
| WY | $78,320 | $84,496 | 2,010 |
| NV | $77,750 | $77,766 | 2,240 |
| AK | $77,390 | $75,606 | 860 |
| HI | $77,330 | $70,331 | 910 |
| WA | $77,220 | $72,159 | 10,710 |
| IL | $76,200 | $76,232 | 12,100 |
| OR | $75,670 | $73,209 | 7,070 |
| CO | $75,600 | $73,361 | 7,260 |
| AZ | $74,790 | $74,287 | 5,020 |
| NJ | $74,760 | $68,710 | 8,380 |
| CA | $74,400 | $67,197 | 26,830 |
| MA | $72,840 | $68,875 | 6,130 |
| ME | $72,310 | $74,508 | 1,190 |
| MN | $71,960 | $72,966 | 6,510 |

37 more states with published wage data are omitted here. The full table for all 52 states is at https://nuecareer.com/careers/industrial-machinery-mechanic/salary-by-state, or as JSON at https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/industrial-machinery-mechanic.

## Outlook

BLS projects employment to move from 439,600 in the 2024–2034 base year to 510,300 by the end of the cycle — a gain of 70,700 jobs, or +16.1%. Much faster than average: 16.1% against 3.1% projected for all occupations over the same cycle. About 45,700 openings a year are expected on average, counting openings from growth as well as from workers leaving the occupation permanently. Source: BLS EP, 2024–2034.

## How to get in

- **Typical entry education:** High school diploma or equivalent (BLS Employment Projections).
- **Preparation level:** Some preparation — O\*NET's preparation band for this occupation is "Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed".
- **Related work experience typically required:** None.
- **Typical on-the-job training:** Long-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 |
| --- | --- |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 47.2% |
| High School Diploma | 39.1% |
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 13.7% |

## What the work involves

- Examine parts for defects, such as breakage or excessive wear.
- 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.
- Repair or maintain the operating condition of industrial production or processing machinery or equipment.
- Reassemble equipment after completion of inspections, testing, or repairs.
- Study blueprints or manufacturers' manuals to determine correct installation or operation of machinery.
- Analyze test results, machine error messages, or information obtained from operators to diagnose equipment problems.

## Skills and knowledge

### Essential skills

- Critical Thinking — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Listening — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Learning — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Monitoring — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Speaking — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Reading Comprehension — importance 2.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Writing — importance 2.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Learning Strategies — importance 2.6 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 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Operation and Control — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Equipment Maintenance — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Troubleshooting — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Repairing — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Quality Control Analysis — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Complex Problem Solving — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Equipment Selection — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Knowledge areas

- Mechanical — importance 4.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- English Language — importance 3.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Production and Processing — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Engineering and Technology — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Design — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Mathematics — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Abilities

- Problem Sensitivity — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Manual Dexterity — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Finger Dexterity — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Control Precision — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Near Vision — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Arm-Hand Steadiness — importance 3.8 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), Investigative (I).

| Interest area | Score (1–7) |
| --- | --- |
| R — Realistic | 7.00 |
| C — Conventional | 4.33 |
| I — Investigative | 3.01 |
| E — Enterprising | 1.17 |
| A — Artistic | 1.01 |
| 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 | 91.1 |
| ISTP | 80.0 |
| ISFJ | 73.2 |
| ESTJ | 72.1 |
| INTJ | 70.2 |

Best-fitting types: ISTJ.

## Related occupations

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

- [Maintenance Worker, Machinery](https://nuecareer.com/careers/maintenance-worker-machinery) — median $60,850
- [Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairer](https://nuecareer.com/careers/electric-motor-power-tool-and-related-repairer) — median $56,210
- [Multiple Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic](https://nuecareer.com/careers/multiple-machine-tool-setter-operator-and-tender-metal-and-plastic) — median $47,180
- [Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanic, Except Engines](https://nuecareer.com/careers/mobile-heavy-equipment-mechanic) — median $65,510
- [Engine and Other Machine Assembler](https://nuecareer.com/careers/engine-and-other-machine-assembler) — median $53,710
- [Milling and Planing Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic](https://nuecareer.com/careers/milling-and-planing-machine-setter-operator-and-tender-metal-and-plastic) — median $52,800
- [Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic](https://nuecareer.com/careers/grinding-lapping-polishing-and-buffing-machine-tool-setter-operator-and-tender-metal-and-plastic) — median $46,550
- [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
- [Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic](https://nuecareer.com/careers/lathe-and-turning-machine-tool-setter-operator-and-tender-metal-and-plastic) — median $50,620

## Sources

- **O\*NET** — O\*NET 30.3 Database, May 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, 2024–2034. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **BLS OOH** — BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 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 30.3 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/industrial-machinery-mechanic