Career Atlas USA

Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines

Median salary
$65,510
Average salary
$69,240
Employment
176,600
Projected growth
5.8% growth
Annual openings
16,500
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent

What Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines Do

Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul mobile mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic equipment, such as cranes, bulldozers, graders, and conveyors, used in construction, logging, and mining.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 20242034.

Related work experience
None
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
3.2%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job 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 4.8/5
  • Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.3/5
  • Mathematicsimportance 3.3/5
  • Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.1/5
  • Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.0/5
  • Building and Constructionimportance 3.0/5
  • English Languageimportance 3.0/5
  • Transportationimportance 2.6/5

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
  • Exposed to Contaminants4.7/5
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7/5
  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.7/5
  • Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled4.6/5
  • Exposed to Hazardous Equipment4.5/5

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.

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

  • Troubleshootingimportance 4.1/5
  • Repairingimportance 4.1/5
  • Equipment Maintenanceimportance 4.0/5
  • Operations Monitoringimportance 3.8/5
  • Operation and Controlimportance 3.6/5
  • Equipment Selectionimportance 3.4/5
  • Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.4/5
  • Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

  • Dependability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Cautiousness
  • Perseverance
  • Integrity
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Achievement Orientation

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

  • RealisticHigh
  • ConventionalMedium
  • InvestigativeMedium
  • ArtisticLow
  • SocialLow
  • EnterprisingLow

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 mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

  1. 1Anniston-Oxford, AL10.21× national avg
  2. 2Texarkana, TX-AR7.03× national avg
  3. 3Fairbanks-College, AK6.35× national avg
  4. 4Odessa, TX5.96× national avg
  5. 5Chambersburg, PA4.59× national avg

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.

Full salary data & percentiles →Best states for this career →Highest-paying states →