Maintenance Workers, Machinery

Lubricate machinery, change parts, or perform other routine machinery maintenance.

From people doing the work

Every day is a puzzle, diagnosing issues from electrical glitches to mechanical failures. It's hands-on problem-solving, often under pressure to keep things running. You're constantly learning new systems and adapting to unexpected breakdowns. Satisfaction comes from getting a critical piece of equipment back online.

Drawn from SMRP, Plant Engineering Magazine, r/maintenance

Attribution: Composite

Composite · Synthesised from SMRP, Plant Engineering Magazine, r/maintenance

A day in the life of Maintenance Workers, Machinery

People interaction
Extensive
Team vs solo
80% Team / 20% Solo
Client facing
Never
Impact visibility
High
Travel
Moderate
Schedule flexibility
Flexible
Remote work
On-site Only
Typical work hours
40-50
Stress level
Moderate

Maintenance Workers, Machinery salary, education and outlook at a glance

Median salary
$60,500
Entry-level
$42,000
Senior
$91,000
Growth by 2033
-2.8%
Demand
Declining
Freelance potential
Moderate
Salary growth potential
117%
Typical student debt
Moderate

Skills you need as Maintenance Workers, Machinery

Hard skills

  • Mechanical
  • Operations Monitoring
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Soft skills

  • Coordination
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Active Listening

Technical complexity: Low

Tools of the trade

Core tools

  • Multimeter (Hardware): To diagnose electrical issues in machinery
  • Torque Wrench (Hardware): To ensure fasteners are tightened to correct specifications
  • PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) (Hardware): To troubleshoot automated machinery control systems

Commonly used

  • CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) (Software): To schedule maintenance tasks and track equipment history
  • Vibration Analyzer (Hardware): To detect and diagnose mechanical faults in rotating machinery

Specialist tools

  • Hydraulic Press (Hardware): To assist in the removal or installation of tight-fitting components
  • Welding Equipment (Hardware): To repair broken metal parts of machinery

How to become Maintenance Workers, Machinery

Minimum education
Post-Secondary Certificate
Licensing
Varies by State
Years to mid-career
4-7
Years to senior
10-15
Career switching
Moderate

Where this career leads

How people arrive here

  • Industrial Machinery Mechanic: Often a more specialized role, but can transition to general maintenance
  • Millwright: Focuses on installing and dismantling machinery, a good foundation for maintenance
  • Maintenance Helper: Entry-level position gaining experience in basic maintenance tasks

Where you can go from here

  • Maintenance Supervisor: Oversees maintenance teams and schedules
  • Reliability Engineer: Focuses on improving equipment reliability and reducing downtime
  • Facilities Manager: Manages overall building and equipment maintenance for a facility

Typical progression

  1. Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers
  2. Maintenance Workers, Machinery
  3. Senior Maintenance Workers, Machinery
  4. or Industrial Machinery Mechanics

Maintenance Workers, Machinery job outlook and future demand

Automation probability
Very High
AI disruption risk
Low
Demand trend
Declining

Job satisfaction as Maintenance Workers, Machinery

Overall satisfaction
6.8/10
Meaning
6.5/10
Work-life balance
6/10
Prestige
5.5/10
Social perception
Moderate

Where practitioners gather

Professional organisations

Podcasts and media

Reddit communities

  • r/maintenance: An online community for maintenance professionals to share experiences and ask questions.

Online communities

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