Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanic, Except Engines Salary (2026), outlook and how to become one

Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines earn a median of $65,510 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 29% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $31.50/hr. The middle half earn between $56,970 and $79,270. The top 10% earn $94,460 or more.

The median hourly wage for mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines is $31.50 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). On a full-year basis the $65,510 annual median works out to about $5,460 a month before tax.

BLS does not publish a starting salary. The nearest measure is the low end of the pay range: the lowest-paid 10% of mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines earn less than $46,820 a year and the bottom quarter less than $56,970 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). New workers often start near that end, but where a particular job starts depends on the employer, the state and the credentials you bring, so read these as the bottom of the range rather than a guaranteed entry wage.

Rarely. Even the 90th percentile is $94,460, so fewer than 10% of mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines earn $100,000 or more (BLS OEWS, May 2025). No state's median reaches $100,000; the highest is Alaska at $82,670.

The highest state medians for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines are Alaska ($82,670), Nevada ($79,860), Minnesota ($79,370) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, North Dakota moves to the top at $85,466.

BLS does not split mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines' pay by specialty or employer, but its range shows how far the top end runs: the highest-paid 10% earn more than $94,460, against a median of $65,510 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Location moves pay the most in the published data: the best-paying states are Alaska ($82,670), Nevada ($79,860), Minnesota ($79,370).

No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines. 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, 54.6% hold post-secondary certificate.

BLS does not publish a fixed length; it depends on the route. What it does publish: the typical way in for mobile heavy equipment mechanics is a high school diploma or equivalent. Once hired, BLS lists long-term on-the-job training as typical. O*NET classes the work as needing medium preparation.

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6.7% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 15,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.

Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians, also called mechanics, inspect, maintain, and repair vehicles and machinery used in construction, farming, rail transportation, and other industries. A core O*NET task: repair and replace damaged or worn parts. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Spreadsheet software.

Yes, for most. In O*NET's survey of people in the job, 50% of mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines usually work more than 40 hours a week, 50% work exactly 40 and 0% work fewer. 68% say their schedule is regular and 28% irregular. Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, Work Context.

O*NET scores Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines 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.

Women make up 4.3% of mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines, against 47.1% of all employed people: a heavily male-dominated occupation. 22.0% are 55 or older, close to the 23.2% across all jobs. The median worker is 42.2 years old (all workers: 42.1). Source: BLS Current Population Survey, 2025 annual averages, for the Census group "Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians and mechanics".