Also called: Maintenance Mechanic, Industrial Mechanic
Diagnoses and repairs factory equipment like robots, conveyors, presses and packaging machines.
Your radio crackles: line 3 is down. You find a sheared gear, pull a spare from the storeroom and have it running in 40 minutes while the supervisor watches the clock. Quieter hours go to scheduled maintenance like changing belts and testing sensors.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. High-school diploma plus a year or more of training; an associate degree in industrial maintenance helps.
Ways in: Certification, 2-year college, Apprenticeship, On-the-job training, Military. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Industrial Maintenance Technology, Mechatronics.
Growing much faster than average (about 13% over 10 years). BLS projects much faster than average growth; plants struggle to find enough mechanics.
Low risk for 10 years. Automated plants need more mechanics, not fewer; AI helps diagnose faults, but repairs stay hands-on.
Classes: Shop class, Electronics class, Physics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 49-9041.
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