Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Long-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Maintenance workers, machinery focus on keeping equipment in working order, combining hands-on mechanical abilities with careful attention to detail. This occupation has national employment of about 58,000 workers and a national median annual salary of $60,500, offering an earnings level that can support long-term work in technical and industrial settings. Projected employment growth of -2.8% indicates a slight decline over time, but there are still about 5,000 annual openings nationally, reflecting ongoing replacement and hiring needs. The work relies on strengths such as mechanical aptitude, physical strength and stamina, and fine motor abilities, supported by problem solving, critical thinking, and computer skills. People interested in technical, tool-oriented work who enjoy diagnosing issues and making precise adjustments may find this career appealing. Those considering alternatives might also look at related roles such as welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, extruding and forming machine operators, production workers, earth drillers, or petroleum pump system operators.
Maintenance workers, machinery earn a national median annual salary of $60,500, with notable variation across states and metro areas. Among the top states by CareerGPS opportunity score, median salaries range from $55,000 in Massachusetts to $67,840 in California and $67,610 in New York. Colorado and Washington also show relatively strong pay levels at $64,010 and $62,970, respectively. At the metro level, some areas stand out even more. San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA reports a median salary of $79,090, while San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA is at $71,530, and New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ is at $68,990. Other leading metros such as Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH show median salaries of $60,960 and $55,010. These figures suggest that earnings potential can differ substantially by region, especially in certain California and New York metro areas.
This occupation has national employment of about 58,000 maintenance workers, machinery, with projected employment growth of -2.8%. While this projection points to a modest decline, the field still shows about 5,000 annual openings. This combination suggests that, even with shrinking overall employment, there will continue to be opportunities due to factors such as workforce turnover or other replacement needs implied by the openings figure. The projected -2.8% growth rate appears consistently across highlighted states and metro areas, indicating a similar directional trend regardless of location. For career planning, this means candidates should be prepared for a competitive environment but can still expect ongoing hiring activity over time. Job seekers who actively build the listed skills—such as mechanical, problem solving, and computer abilities—may be better positioned to compete for the available roles and move between employers or regions as opportunities arise.
Location can significantly shape the experience of maintenance workers, machinery, especially when considering salary levels, employment counts, and CareerGPS opportunity scores. Among states, California leads with an opportunity score of 67.38, median salary of $67,840, and employment of 4,130. Massachusetts and New York follow closely with opportunity scores of 65.87 and 65.78; New York combines this with a median salary of $67,610 and employment of 2,760. Colorado and Washington show moderate employment levels (740 and 700) and mid-$60,000 median salaries, with opportunity scores in the mid-50s. At the metro level, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA and New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ stand out with very high opportunity scores above 77. San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA offers the highest listed median salary at $79,090. Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH also provide notable clusters of employment, giving candidates several strong regional options to consider.
The typical education requirement for maintenance workers, machinery is a high school diploma or equivalent. This makes the field accessible to individuals who complete secondary education and are ready to develop strong technical and practical skills. Success in this occupation depends heavily on abilities rather than formal higher education. Key skills include mechanical aptitude, physical strength and stamina, and fine motor abilities, which support hands-on work with machinery. Being detail oriented is important for precise adjustments and careful inspections. Science knowledge, creativity and innovation, and computers and information technology skills contribute to understanding how systems work and how to use modern tools. Problem solving and decision making, project management, and critical and analytical thinking help workers diagnose issues, plan tasks, and complete repairs efficiently. Together, these skills form a profile that blends physical capability with technical understanding and thoughtful troubleshooting, building a strong foundation for long-term performance in this occupation.
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