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Manufacturing
Caterpillar, 3M, General Mills
Maintenance Workers, Machinery
These workers keep factory and plant machines running by finding breakdowns, taking equipment apart, replacing worn parts, and putting everything back together. The work is hands-on and often dirty, with a mix of routine upkeep and urgent fixes when production stops. The tradeoff is clear: you get practical mechanical work and solid pay without a four-year degree, but the job can be physically tough and the number of positions is projected to edge down over the next decade.
Also known as Maintenance MechanicIndustrial Maintenance MechanicMachinery MechanicMachine Repair TechnicianEquipment Maintenance Technician
Median Salary
$60,500
Mean $61,820
U.S. Workforce
~57K
4.8K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+-2.8%
57.5K to 55.9K
Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Maintenance Workers, Machinery sits in the Trades category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~57K workers, with a median annual pay of $60,500 and roughly 4.8K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to decline from 57.5 K in 2024 to 55.9K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Post-secondary certificate in industrial maintenance or a related trade, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Maintenance Helper and can progress toward Maintenance Supervisor. High-value skills usually include Equipment Maintenance, Operations Monitoring, and Repairing, paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Coordination, and Problem Solving.
Core Responsibilities
- Read work orders and machine specs to figure out what needs repair or routine service.
- Take machines apart, remove worn components, and use jacks, hoists, or hand tools to handle heavy pieces.
- Inspect damaged parts, test them, and decide whether they can be fixed or need to be replaced.
- Clean equipment, add lubricant or other approved materials, and put machines back together after repairs.
Keep exploring: more Trades careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Read work orders and machine specs to figure out what needs repair or routine service.
02 Take machines apart, remove worn components, and use jacks, hoists, or hand tools to handle heavy pieces.
03 Inspect damaged parts, test them, and decide whether they can be fixed or need to be replaced.
04 Clean equipment, add lubricant or other approved materials, and put machines back together after repairs.
05 Work with operators and other maintenance staff to move equipment, swap parts, and get production back online.
06 Clear away scraps and worn-out parts, and keep machine areas clean and organized so problems are easier to spot.
Industries That Hire
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Food and Beverage Processing
Tyson Foods, PepsiCo, Nestlé
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Automotive and Transportation Equipment
Ford, Toyota, Tesla
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Paper, Pulp, and Packaging
International Paper, Georgia-Pacific, WestRock
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Utilities and Energy
Duke Energy, Exelon, Dominion Energy
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is respectable for a job that usually does not require a four-year degree, with median annual pay at $60,500 and mean pay at $61,820.
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A certificate or high school diploma can get you in the door, and employers are willing to train people over time.
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The work is concrete and varied: one day you may be fixing a worn part, and the next you may be diagnosing why a production line stopped.
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There are still openings even though the occupation is shrinking, with about 4.8K annual openings driven by replacements and turnover.
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The skills transfer across many settings, including manufacturing, food processing, packaging, utilities, and other plant environments.
Challenges
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Employment is projected to fall 2.8% to 55.9K by 2034, so the field is not expanding.
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The work is physically demanding and often dirty, with heavy parts, grease, solvents, noise, and the risk of injury around moving machinery.
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Workers usually need long-term on-the-job training before they can work independently, so early career growth can be slow.
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A lot of the work happens during breakdowns, shutdowns, nights, or weekends, which can make the schedule hard on family time.
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The career ladder can be narrow unless you move into lead, supervisory, or specialized controls roles, and some routine maintenance work can be reduced by automation or outsourced to contractors.
Career Progression
Maintenance Helper
0-2 years
$35K-$44K
Begins with basic cleanup, parts handling, tool use, and helping experienced mechanics during shutdowns or repairs.
Machinery Maintenance Technician
2-5 years
$45K-$59K
Handles routine service, simple troubleshooting, and part replacement with less supervision.
Maintenance Workers, Machinery THIS ROLE
5-10 years
$60K-$72K
Works independently on inspections, repairs, reassembly, and keeping production equipment running.
Lead Machinery Mechanic
10-15 years
$73K-$86K
Takes on the hardest breakdowns, coaches newer workers, and helps plan repairs around production schedules.
Maintenance Supervisor
15+ years
$87K-$103K
Oversees maintenance crews, budgets, schedules, and response plans for equipment failures and shutdowns.
Education Paths
Post-secondary certificate in industrial maintenance or a related trade
The most common entry point, held by 54.1% of workers in this role.
High school diploma or equivalent
A large share of workers, 40.73%, enter with a high school diploma and build skills through long-term training.
Associate's degree in industrial maintenance, mechanical technology, or mechatronics
An alternative path, held by 2.59% of workers, and sometimes useful for learning controls, diagnostics, and preventative maintenance.
Employer apprenticeship or long-term on-the-job training
BLS says long-term on-the-job training is typical here, and many employers add lockout/tagout, safety, and equipment-specific training after hiring.
Key Skills
Technical
Equipment Maintenance 69%
Operations Monitoring 69%
Repairing 69%
Troubleshooting 69%
Operation and Control 66%
Hydraulic & Pneumatic Systems 64%
PLC Troubleshooting & Industrial Controls 62%
CMMS Software (IBM Maximo, Fiix, UpKeep) 60%
Quality Control Analysis 53%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningCoordinationProblem SolvingAttention to DetailCommunicationSafety Awareness Job Outlook and Trends
+-2.8%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
4.8K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 57.5K to 55.9 K over the next decade, representing -2.8% growth. Around 4.8 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.