Industrial Machinery Mechanic
Role lens
Industrial machinery mechanics work on new machinery and equipment in operation. They set up for the specific application and build accessories if necessary, perform maintenance and repair, and run diagnostics to find faults in systems or parts that need replacing.
Industrial machinery mechanics are essential for a wide range of industries, from manufacturing and food processing to energy and logistics. Your daily work involves a combination of hands-on troubleshooting, precision repair, and preventative maintenance. You’ll work on new machinery installations, adapting equipment to specific operational needs and even constructing custom accessories. Diagnostics are a key part of your role – pinpointing faults in systems and individual components to ensure efficient and safe operation.
- • Install, configure, and test new industrial machinery and equipment.
- • Perform routine maintenance and repairs on a variety of complex mechanical systems.
- • Diagnose and troubleshoot mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical faults.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Figures cover Metal, machinery and related trades workers — 106 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia and 12 more.
Longest-running shortage: Austria, 4 years.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
What these words mean
The four things this section reports
- Reported demand
- Whether employers report needing people in this job — a judgement published by a national or EU body, not a count.
- Where it is heading
- Which way employment in this job is expected to move over the coming years, from an official projection.
- Openings
- Roughly how many openings arise — from growth and from people leaving the job.
- Typical pay
- What people in this job typically earn where the source publishes it. Blank does not mean unpaid; it means nobody publishes it for that place.
A measure is left out when nobody publishes it for that place, rather than shown as zero.
Which way the market leans for you
- In your favour
- More openings than people looking — employers are competing for candidates.
- Balanced
- Openings and candidates are roughly matched.
- Competitive
- More people looking than openings — expect to compete.
- Mixed evidence
- Sources disagree, or the same occupation group is short in one part and oversupplied in another.
Every source resolves to one of these four, so there is a single vocabulary to learn. What differs is the evidence behind it, which is printed underneath each verdict — a measured ratio of openings to jobseekers, or an assessment published by a national body.
How this job compares with other jobs in the same country
- Strong
- Among the strongest in that country
- Good
- Stronger than most jobs in that country
- Mixed
- About typical for that country
- Weak
- Weaker than most jobs in that country
This is a rank within one country, not a score you can carry across borders — the registers behind two countries count different people, so the same number means different things in each. It is also why a job can be among the strongest in a country and still show as Competitive: it leads the field in a market that is crowded overall.
Where these come from
Every figure is published by a national statistics office, a public employment service or an EU body, and each card names its source and the period it covers. Some places are counted monthly, others assessed once or twice a year, so two places on the same map can be describing different moments — the date is always shown.
None of this predicts one person’s chances. It describes a market.
Reported demand · Typical pay · Where it is heading (United States, Ireland, Australia, Malta, United Kingdom)
| Reported demand | Typical pay | Where it is heading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Not reported | $64,520 2025-05 | +16.1% 2024–2034 · BLS 2024-2034 |
| Ireland | Not reported | — | +15.1% 2023–2035 · Cedefop 2026 * |
| Australia | Shortage reported Jobs and Skills Australia 2025 * | — | — |
| Malta | Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2024 * | — | — |
| United Kingdom | Not reported | £64,322 2025-provisional | — |
* Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS)
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Open Government Licence v3.0
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Future Outlook for industrial machinery mechanic
The outlook for industrial machinery mechanic reflects a balanced mix of automation exposure and durable, human-led work.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could industrial machinery mechanic change as AI adoption grows?
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
Model-based estimate. Use it as a planning signal, not a guarantee.
Compare this to your profile
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- secure working area
- perform test run
- perform maintenance on installed equipment
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- solve technical problems
- conduct routine machinery checks
- use testing equipment
Tasks most exposed to automation
- write records for repairs
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Advanced Manufacturing
A typical day as an industrial machinery mechanic
09 09:00 · Morning conduct routine machinery checks
10 10:30 · Mid-morning inspect industrial equipment
12 12:00 · Midday perform test run
14 14:00 · Afternoon write records for repairs
15 15:30 · Late afternoon perform maintenance on installed equipment
17 17:00 · Wrap-up resolve equipment malfunctions
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
What you need to do this work
The skills, knowledge and tools this role calls for — and the traits and rewards that come with it.
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perform test run
Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.
-
perform maintenance on installed equipment
Perform the maintenance on installed equipment on-site. Follow procedures to avoid uninstalling equipment from machinery or vehicles.
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inspect industrial equipment
Inspect equipment used during industrial activities such as manufacturing or construction equipment in order to ensure that the equipment complies with health, safety, and environmental legislation.
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resolve equipment malfunctions
Identify, report and repair equipment damage and malfunctions. Communicate with field representatives and manufacturers to obtain repair and replacement components.
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troubleshoot
Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.
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solve technical problems
Identify technical problems when operating devices and using digital environments, and solve them (from trouble-shooting to solving more complex problems).
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conduct routine machinery checks
Check machinery and equipment to ensure reliable performance during use and operations in worksites.
-
secure working area
Secure the operation site fixing boundaries, restricting access, placing signs and taking other measures in order to guarantee public and staff safety.
-
use testing equipment
Use equipment to test performance and operation of machinery.
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write records for repairs
Write records of the repairs and maintenance interventions undertaken, of parts and materials used, and other repair facts.
manufacturing of office equipment
The manufacture of calculators, staplers, cartridges, binding equipment, photocopy machines, boards and all types of equipment and machines used in an office.
manufacturing of pumps and compressors
The manufacture of different types of pumps, such as air, vacuum or engine pumps as well as hand pumps, and compressors.
manufacturing of taps and valves
The manufacture of industrial, sanitary or heating taps and valves.
- electrical wiring plans
- electricity
- hydraulics
- mechanics
- pneumatics
- types of lubricants
Path to become an industrial machinery mechanic
What it typically takes to qualify: education level, where it is a regulated profession, and where to study.
Upper secondary education
31 programmes in 14 countries teach the core skills of this job. Plus 66 short courses that build single skills.
A few examples, taught in the language of this page:
Valkeakosken ammattiopisto · Finland
Advanced Certificate in Craft - Mechanical Automation & Maintenance Fitting
SOLAS · Ireland
Hydraulic and Pneumatic Engineering
Türkiye
These are 5 of 97.
Sources
- 1. Source: Opintopolku.fi (Finnish National Agency for Education)
- 2. Source: Europass Qualification Dataset Register (European Commission)
- 3. Source: YÖK Atlas, Council of Higher Education (yokatlas.yok.gov.tr).
- 4. Source: Study in Serbia, an initiative of Foundation Tempus (bazaobrazovanja.rs).
- 5. Contains information from MySkillsFuture Course Run accessed on 2026-09-28 from data.gov.sg which is made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0 (https://data.gov.sg/open-data-licence)
Growth Pathways & Similar Roles
Explore typical career progression paths, adjacent skills, and similar roles to plan your next transition.
Where does industrial machinery mechanic fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
For organisations
The data on this page, working for your students, clients and staff.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of industries employ industrial machinery mechanics?
Do I need a formal education to become an industrial machinery mechanic?
Is it common to be self-employed as an industrial machinery mechanic?
How much does Industrial Machinery Mechanic pay in the United States?
Sources: ESCO O*NET ELA/EURES Cedefop BLS Data updated October 3, 2026 About our data