Industrial Machinery Mechanic Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of industrial machinery mechanics to grow 17.8% from 2025 to 2035 (about 79,700 more jobs), with about 44,400 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $64,520 a year ranks 366th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +17.8%
- Openings a year
- 44,400
- Median pay
- $64,520
- Pay rank
- 366th of 825
Is employment of industrial machinery mechanics growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of industrial machinery mechanics to rise 17.8% (about 79,700 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +5.4% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 51 installation, maintenance, and repair occupations with a projection. That change ranks 20th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 446,900 |
| Employment, 2035 | 526,600 |
| Projected change | +17.8% |
| Openings a year | 44,400 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 446,900 jobs here differ from the 439,640 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 44,400 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 92nd most of 830 occupations. About 82% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 7,970 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for industrial machinery mechanics rank?
The median of $64,520 a year ranks 366th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: high school diploma or equivalent.
- Typical on-the-job training: long-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance Workers, Machinery | -1.9% | 4,400 | $60,850 |
| Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers | +4.4% | 1,400 | $56,210 |
| Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | +6.7% | 15,000 | $65,510 |
| Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | +4.3% | 3,600 | $74,340 |
| Millwrights | +0.9% | 3,200 | $65,700 |
| Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | +0.6% | 11,600 | $47,180 |
| Engine and Other Machine Assemblers | -17.0% | 2,100 | $53,710 |
| Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | -13.2% | 1,000 | $52,800 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.