Industrial Machinery Mechanics
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Broken or worn parts come off after the machine is taken apart; they are inspected for breakage or excessive wear, then repaired or replaced. After the unit is cleaned, lubricated, and put back together, it is run to confirm the repair holds. What was done gets written down. The same work can include installing, dismantling, or moving heavy production equipment and pipeline or refinery gear according to plans. The cycle of inspect, fix, reassemble, and prove the machine by running it is what the work asks for.
Typical education: Post-Secondary Certificate (vocational/technical)
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$64'520
Median Wage Market Position
$64'520
What you might do
- Repair factory production and processing machines
- Swap broken or worn machine parts
- Strip machines down to reach damaged parts
- Check parts for cracks and heavy wear
- Clean, oil, and adjust production-machine parts
- Run machines to confirm the repair worked
Skills that matter
- Diagnosing worn or broken machine parts
- Replacing broken production-machine components
- Lubricating and adjusting production machinery
- Test-running equipment after a repair
- Watching equipment for signs of trouble
- Listening to reports of machine problems
AI & the future of this role
Diagnosing breakdowns and rebuilding production equipment still depends on on-site inspection, manual fit-up, and safety judgment that software alone cannot deliver. AI may flag wear patterns or suggest parts, yet plants are likely to keep needing skilled hands for live repairs.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details