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Maintenance worker (machinery): pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 28, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$60,850median pay per year, or $29.25 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $42,000lowest 10% earn less
  2. $48,92025th percentile
  3. $60,850median
  4. $75,20075th percentile
  5. $88,550top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[4]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[5]

Machinery maintenance workers, a group BLS calls Maintenance Workers, Machinery, had a median pay of $60,850 a year in May 2025[1]. Employment is projected to fall 1.9% by 2035, while all occupations are projected to grow[2][3].

Job growth, 2025–35
-1.9%[2]
Openings per year
4,400[6]
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent[7]

How much do maintenance workers make?

This page covers the BLS category Maintenance Workers, Machinery. The median pay was $60,850 a year, or $29.25 an hour[1]. Half earned more and half earned less. The average was $64,610 a year, or $31.06 an hour[8]. The median for all occupations was $50,980[5].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $42,000, and the lowest-paid 25% earned less than $48,920[4]. The highest-paid 25% earned more than $75,200, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $88,550[4]. Hourly, the 10th percentile was $20.19 and the 90th percentile was $42.57[9]. BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[10].

These figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed, bonuses and benefits such as health insurance[11]. About 60,020 people held these jobs[12].

Pay by state and city

Wyoming had the highest state median at $84,620, then New Hampshire at $77,070 and Kentucky at $76,710[13]. New Mexico was last on the list at $36,240[13].

Texas had the most jobs with 8,800[14]. North Carolina had 4,750, California 4,130, Kentucky 2,920 and Georgia 2,900[14].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN had the highest median at $157,260[15]. Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX followed at $91,440, then Baton Rouge, LA at $83,170[15]. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington had the most jobs with 2,460 and a median of $60,770[16].

Show median pay in 45 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
Wyoming[13]$84,620280
New Hampshire$77,070130
Kentucky$76,7102,920
Nevada$75,500750
Rhode Island$72,040110
California$67,8404,130
New York$67,6102,760
Virginia$65,5001,420
South Carolina$64,910960
Tennessee$64,790800
Iowa$64,760900
Wisconsin$64,310420
Colorado$64,010740
Missouri$63,7202,180
Connecticut$63,250410
Minnesota$63,020730
Washington$62,970700
Louisiana$62,6401,410
District of Columbia$62,52080
Alaska$61,29040
Nebraska$61,190650
Pennsylvania$61,0801,260
Utah$60,8501,180
North Carolina$60,5804,750
Alabama$60,560420
Kansas$60,1601,040
West Virginia$60,020790
Michigan$59,5901,640
Maryland$59,5701,870
Illinois$59,300560
Ohio$59,2802,330
Texas$59,2808,800
Oklahoma$58,9701,530
New Jersey$57,920310
Georgia$57,7302,900
Oregon$57,440430
Idaho$56,250170
Arizona$56,130440
Massachusetts$55,000320
Mississippi$54,380450
Arkansas$53,250770
Maine$52,300490
Florida$51,9002,830
Indiana$48,7601,780
South Dakota$45,24050
New Mexico$36,240n/a

How to become a maintenance worker

BLS describes the typical path into this occupation like this:

The training details below come from a BLS profile that covers a wider group, including industrial machinery mechanics and millwrights[17]. For mechanics and maintenance workers in that group, training on the job usually lasts more than a year[18]. It can include setting up, cleaning, lubricating and starting machinery, plus subjects such as blueprint reading and welding[18]. Some people in the wider group finish a 2-year associate's degree in industrial maintenance[19]. Millwrights, a related trade, usually learn through a 3 or 4 year apprenticeship[20].

The wider profile also lists a minimum age of 18 and being physically able to do the work[21][22].

In an O*NET survey of 17 workers, 54% said a post-secondary certificate was required and 41% said a high school diploma or equivalent[23]. The survey is small, so treat it as a rough picture only.

What maintenance workers do

O*NET says these workers lubricate machinery, change parts and do other routine machine maintenance[24]. Common tasks include:

Job titles reported by workers include Maintenance Mechanic, Maintenance Technician, Machine Repairer and Lubricator[26].

Where they work

The wider BLS profile says manufacturing was the largest employer in 2025, at 51% of jobs[27]. It also says most mechanics and maintenance workers in that group work full time during regular business hours[28]. Some may be on call or work nights or weekends, and overtime is common, especially for mechanics[28]. The work around industrial machinery can be dangerous, so workers follow safety rules and wear protective gear such as hardhats, safety glasses and earplugs[29].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to decline 1.9% from 2025 to 2035, from about 59,700 to 58,600 jobs[2]. All occupations together are projected to grow 3.5%[3]. These counts include the self-employed, who made up 0.3% of the workforce in 2025[30].

Even so, BLS expects about 4,400 openings a year[6]. They include jobs that open when people retire or switch occupations, not only new jobs[6]. Each year 3.5% of workers leave the labor force and 4.1% move to a different occupation[31].

BLS names one factor behind the decline. Some maintenance work is being done by industrial machinery mechanics instead[32]. That related job is projected to grow 17.8% and had a median pay of $64,520[33].

Is it a good fit?

Pay is above the all-occupations median, and the entry path asks for a high school diploma with long-term training on the job[1][5][7]. Employment is projected to shrink slightly, although openings from retirements and job changes continue[2][6]. The related industrial machinery mechanic job is projected to grow faster, which may matter if you want to compare paths[33].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[33].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a maintenance worker make a year?
For Maintenance Workers, Machinery, the median pay was $60,850 a year in May 2025, and the average was $64,610[1][8].
How much does a machinery maintenance worker make an hour?
The median was $29.25 an hour and the average was $31.06 an hour[1][8].
What education do you need to be a maintenance worker?
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry education, plus long-term on-the-job training[7].
Is machinery maintenance work in demand?
BLS projects employment to decline 1.9% from 2025 to 2035, but expects about 4,400 openings a year[2][6].
Which state pays maintenance workers the most?
Wyoming had the highest median at $84,620[13]. New Hampshire was next at $77,070[13].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Maintenance Workers, Machinery in the US was $60,850 per year and $29.25 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Maintenance Workers, Machinery is projected to decline 1.9% from 2025 to 2035, from about 59,700 to 58,600 jobs (a change of -1,200). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Maintenance Workers, Machinery: 10th percentile $42,000, 25th percentile $48,920, 75th percentile $75,200, 90th percentile $88,550. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 4,400 openings for Maintenance Workers, Machinery are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Maintenance Workers, Machinery: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Long-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Maintenance Workers, Machinery was $64,610 per year and $31.06 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Maintenance Workers, Machinery: 10th percentile $20.19, 25th percentile $23.52, 75th percentile $36.16, 90th percentile $42.57. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 60,020 people were employed as Maintenance Workers, Machinery in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. Median annual wage for Maintenance Workers, Machinery in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Maintenance Workers, Machinery jobs: Texas 8,800; North Carolina 4,750; California 4,130; Kentucky 2,920; Georgia 2,900. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Maintenance Workers, Machinery (areas with at least 100 jobs): Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN $157,260; Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX $91,440; Baton Rouge, LA $83,170; Syracuse, NY $79,720; Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $79,410; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $79,090; St. Joseph, MO-KS $76,530; Charleston-North Charleston, SC $75,190. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Maintenance Workers, Machinery jobs: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 2,460 (median $60,770); Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 1,950 (median $58,310); Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,530 (median $56,340); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,310 (median $72,750); Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 1,260 (median $48,270); New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 1,170 (median $68,990). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  17. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Industrial Machinery Mechanics, Machinery Maintenance Workers, and Millwrights" covers Maintenance Workers, Machinery together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. O*NET 49-9043.00 survey of workers (17 respondents), education level they say is required: Post-Secondary Certificate 54%, High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 41% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  24. O*NET description of Maintenance Workers, Machinery. O*NET OnLine
  25. O*NET task list for Maintenance Workers, Machinery. O*NET OnLine
  26. O*NET 49-9043.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Lubricator, Machine Repairer, Maintainer, Maintenance Craftsman, Maintenance Man, Maintenance Mechanic, Maintenance Technician (Maintenance Tech), Maintenance Worker. O*NET OnLine
  27. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights in 2025: Manufacturing 51%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  28. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  29. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Injuries and Illnesses. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  30. BLS Employment Projections: 0.3% of Maintenance Workers, Machinery were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  31. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Maintenance Workers, Machinery: 3.5% of workers leave the labor force each year and 4.1% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  32. BLS Employment Projections, factor affecting employment of Maintenance Workers, Machinery: Occupational substitution - share decreases as maintenance services are performed by industrial machinery mechanics. BLS Employment Projections
  33. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers. The Occupational Outlook Handbook text covers a wider group of occupations than this page.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.