Skilled Trades
Maintenance Workers, Machinery
Lubricate machinery, change parts, or perform other routine machinery maintenance.
Median salary (BLS)
$60,850
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$42k – $89k
Job outlook
No separate BLS projection for this specific role
AI exposure
Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $70,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.
Plan a path to Maintenance Workers, Machinery
Education
Typical entry: No degree (trade/license)
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior Maintenance Workers, Machinery
Entry / Junior
$42,000
~2 yrs to advance
Maintenance Workers, Machinery
Established
$60,850
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Maintenance Workers, Machinery
Senior
$74,700
Key skills
A typical day
- •Dismantle machines and remove parts for repair, using hand tools, chain falls, jacks, cranes, or hoists.
- •Reassemble machines after the completion of repair or maintenance work.
- •Record production, repair, and machine maintenance information.
- •Lubricate or apply adhesives or other materials to machines, machine parts, or other equipment according to specified procedures.
- •Install, replace, or change machine parts and attachments, according to production specifications.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Skilled Trades
Explore all- Purdue University50% admit · $78,000 grad pay
- Ohio State University53% admit · $68,000 grad pay
- Pennsylvania State University55% admit · $70,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.