Heavy Equipment Mechanic

Repairs bulldozers, excavators, and cranes, often out in the field.

A day in the life

You drive a service truck to a quarry, fix a busted hydraulic line on an excavator in the mud, and get it digging again.

Pay over a career

Starting

$43k

Typical

$62k

High

$88k

Training

Certificate, about 1 year after high school. Heavy equipment or diesel program (1-2 years).

Ways in: Trade school, Apprenticeship, Military. Training cost: Under $15k.

Majors to look at: Heavy Equipment Technology, Diesel Technology.

Outlook

Growing faster than average (about 6% over 10 years).

Will it last? Our AI estimate

Low risk for 10 years. Remote diagnostics help, but field repairs on dozers and excavators in mud and weather stay hands-on.

Start now, in high school

Classes: Diesel CTE, Welding, Physics.

• Compete in SkillsUSA Diesel Equipment Technology
• Take a small-engines class
• Part-time helper at an equipment dealer

Official data: O*NET occupation 49-3042.

More Heavy Equipment Operation & Repair careers

• Excavation / Earthmoving Contractor
• Heavy Equipment Fleet Manager
• Master Heavy Equipment Mechanic
• Construction Equipment Operator
• Motor Grader Operator
• Mining Haul Truck & Shovel Operator
• Dredge Operator
• GPS Machine Control Technician
• Heavy Equipment Instructor
• Equipment Operator Apprentice
• Paving Equipment Operator
• Logging Equipment Operator
• Farm Equipment Mechanic
• Equipment Field Lube Technician
• Horizontal Directional Drilling Operator
• Hydrovac Truck Operator
• Forklift Technician
• Equipment Rental Technician
• Forestry Mulching Operator
• Marsh Buggy Operator
• Rock Crusher Operator
• Hydroseeding Operator

Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.