Maintenance Workers, Machinery
What Maintenance Workers, Machinery Do
Lubricate machinery, change parts, or perform other routine machinery maintenance.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- Not available
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 3 of 5Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Mechanicalimportance 4.5/5
- Production and Processingimportance 3.4/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 3.2/5
- English Languageimportance 3.0/5
- Designimportance 3.0/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 3.0/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 2.9/5
- Mathematicsimportance 2.8/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
- Freedom to Make Decisions4.4/5
- Exposed to Contaminants4.4/5
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.3/5
- Spend Time Standing4.3/5
- Contact With Others4.3/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers96% skill match
- Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers94% skill match
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General94% skill match
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics93% skill match
- Signal and Track Switch Repairers93% skill match
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists93% skill match
- Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators93% skill match
- Rail Car Repairers93% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.8/5
- Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.8/5
- Troubleshootingimportance 3.8/5
- Repairingimportance 3.8/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.6/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.1/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Computerized maintenance management system software CMMS
- Database software
- Management information systems MIS
- Scheduling software
- Web browser software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
- Perseverance
- Stress Tolerance
- Integrity
- Cooperation
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- EnterprisingLow
- ArtisticLow
- SocialLow
This page 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. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where maintenance workers, machinery make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC7.36× national avg
- 2St. Joseph, MO-KS5.84× national avg
- 3Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX5.14× national avg
- 4Gainesville, GA4.62× national avg
- 5Topeka, KS4.46× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Industrial Machinery MechanicsLateral Move
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except EnginesLateral Move
- Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical DoorLateral Move
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticCareer Change
See the full career path from Maintenance Workers, Machinery →
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.