Also called: Maintenance Mechanic
Repairs and maintains factory machinery to keep production running.
A bottling line jams at 3 a.m.; you trace it to a worn gear, swap it, and have bottles flowing in an hour.
Associate's degree (2-year), about 2 years after high school. 1-2 years of technical school or an apprenticeship.
Ways in: Trade school, Apprenticeship, 2-year college, Military. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Industrial Maintenance Technology, Mechatronics.
Growing much faster than average (about 13% over 10 years). BLS projection; automation increases need for mechanics.
Low risk for 10 years. Predictive maintenance tells mechanics when to fix machines, but the repairs on the factory floor stay human.
Classes: Physics, Machine shop CTE, Algebra.
Official data: O*NET occupation 49-9041.
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