Career
Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
Repair bulldozers, cranes and heavy equipment.
$65,510
Median pay
+6.7%
Job growth, 2025–35
15,000
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Repair and replace damaged or worn parts.
- Test mechanical products and equipment after repair or assembly to ensure proper performance and compliance with manufacturers' specifications.
- Operate and inspect machines or heavy equipment to diagnose defects.
- Read and understand operating manuals, blueprints, and technical drawings.
- Dismantle and reassemble heavy equipment using hoists and hand tools.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Repair and replace damaged or worn parts.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Repairing, Troubleshooting, Equipment Maintenance, Operations Monitoring.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though long-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $65,510 a year and 15,000 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Agricultural Mechanics and Equipment/Machine Technology/TechnicianCIP 01.0205
- Heavy Equipment Maintenance Technology/TechnicianCIP 47.0302
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics$64,520 · +17.8%
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists$61,770 · +3.6%
- Maintenance Workers, Machinery$60,850 · -1.9%
- Rail Car Repairers$67,530 · +2.6%
- Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers$56,210 · +4.4%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.