Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · Holland code RCI

Industrial Machinery Mechanics

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 called: Industrial Machinery Mechanic, Maintenance Technician, Mechanic, Overhauler, Industrial Mechanic, Loom Fixer, Loom Technician, Machine Adjuster.

O*NET 49-9041.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $64,520; Middle half earn $55,010 to $78,780. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: Post-Secondary Certificate; 47% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 3 of 5; Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Repair or maintain the operating condition of industrial production or processing machinery or equipment.
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.
Reassemble equipment after completion of inspections, testing, or repairs.
Examine parts for defects, such as breakage or excessive wear.
Record repairs and maintenance performed.
Operate newly repaired machinery or equipment to verify the adequacy of repairs.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Critical Thinking3.6 / 5
Active Listening3.1 / 5
Active Learning3.1 / 5
Monitoring3.1 / 5
Speaking3.0 / 5
Reading Comprehension2.9 / 5

Knowledge areas

Mechanical4.3 / 5
English Language3.5 / 5
Production and Processing3.4 / 5
Engineering and Technology3.3 / 5
Design3.3 / 5
Mathematics3.1 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic100
Investigative34
Artistic0
Social0
Enterprising3
Conventional56

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

water plant technician · DE Wasserwerker/Wasserwerkerin · FR technicien d’exploitation eau potable/technicienne d’exploitation eau potable
construction equipment technician · DE Baumaschinenmechatroniker/Baumaschinenmechatronikerin · FR mécanicien d’équipement de chantier/mécanicienne d’équipement de chantier
mining equipment mechanic · DE Berg- und Maschinenmann Fachrichtung Transport und Instandhaltung/Berg und Maschinenfrau Fachrichtung Transport und Instandhaltung · FR mécanicien d’engins de mine/mécanicienne d’engins de mine
pneumatic systems technician · DE Pneumatik-Fachkraft · FR technicien en systèmes pneumatiques/technicienne en systèmes pneumatiques
rotating equipment mechanic · DE Industriemechaniker für Rotating Equipment/Industriemechanikerin für Rotating Equipment · FR mécanicien sur engins rotatifs/mécanicienne sur engins rotatifs
textile machinery technician · DE Produktionsmechaniker – Textil/Produktionsmechanikerin – Textil · FR technicien de machines textiles/technicienne de machines textiles

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Rail and rolling stock builders and repairers (5236)16,800 employed
Water and sewerage plant operatives (8134)21,000 employed
Metal working production and maintenance fitters and technicians (5223)135,500 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Craft and related trades workers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€40,086
Germany	€38,638
Austria	€38,194
Sweden	€37,856
Netherlands	€37,077
Ireland	€36,098
France	€27,145
Italy	€26,488
Spain	€22,817
Portugal	€11,142
Poland	€10,099

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.13. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (49-9041).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test