Industrial machinery mechanics and machinery maintenance workers maintain and repair factory equipment and other industrial machinery, such as conveying systems, production machinery, and packaging equipment. Millwrights install, dismantle, repair, reassemble, and move machinery in factories, power plants, and construction sites.

Workers in this occupation must follow safety precautions and use protective equipment, such as hardhats, safety glasses, and hearing protectors. Most work full time in factories, refineries, food-processing facilities, or power plants, or at construction sites. However, they may be on call and work night or weekend shifts. Overtime is common.

Industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights typically need a high school diploma. However, industrial machinery mechanics need a year or more of training either on the job or through a technical school, whereas machinery maintenance workers typically receive on-the-job training that lasts up to a year. Most millwrights go through a 4-year apprenticeship.

The median annual wage for industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights was $48,410 in May 2015.

Employment of industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights is projected to grow 16 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. The need to keep increasingly sophisticated machinery functioning and efficient will drive demand for these workers. Job prospects for qualified applicants should be good.

Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights.

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights with similar occupations.

Learn more about industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.