Heavy Equipment Maintenance
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Types of Degrees Heavy Equipment Maintenance Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many heavy/industrial equipment maintenance graduations there were in 2019-2020 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Basic Certificate | 4,405 |
Undergraduate Certificate | 2,836 |
Associate Degree | 1,618 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 13 |
What Heavy Equipment Maintenance Majors Need to Know
In an O*NET survey, equipment maintenance majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.
Knowledge Areas for Equipment Maintenance Majors
Equipment Maintenance majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

- Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Skills for Equipment Maintenance Majors
The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to equipment maintenance:

- Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Troubleshooting - Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Equipment Maintenance - Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Abilities for Equipment Maintenance Majors
As a equipment maintenance major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

- Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
- Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
What Can You Do With a Heavy Equipment Maintenance Major?
Below is a list of occupations associated with equipment maintenance:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Elevator Installers and Repairers | 12.2% | $79,780 |
Industrial Machinery Mechanics | 6.7% | $52,340 |
Maintenance Workers, Machinery | 5.6% | $47,060 |
Millwrights | 9.9% | $55,060 |
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | 8.2% | $51,920 |
Rail Car Repairers | 4.9% | $56,220 |
Wind Turbine Service Technicians | 94.8% | $54,370 |
Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Heavy Equipment Maintenance?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of equipment maintenance majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 18 |
Black or African American | 120 |
Hispanic or Latino | 135 |
White | 1,268 |
International Students | 8 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 69 |
Geographic Diversity
Students from other countries are interested in Equipment Maintenance, too. About 0.5% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- British Virgin Islands
- Botswana
- Mexico
- Canada
How Much Do Heavy Equipment Maintenance Majors Make?
Salaries According to BLS
Average salaries range from $52,510 to $56,250 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to equipment maintenance. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Heavy Equipment Maintenance
Some careers associated with equipment maintenance require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to equipment maintenance have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
Less than a High School Diploma | 2.7% |
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 41.5% |
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 37.2% |
Some College Courses | 7.2% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 7.3% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 1.9% |
Master’s Degree | 0.6% |
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. | 0.8% |
Online Heavy Equipment Maintenance Programs
In 2019-2020, 339 schools offered a equipment maintenance program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 243 | 3 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 65 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 193 | 2 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 0 | 0 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
Master’s Degree | 0 | 0 |
Post-Master’s | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Heavy Equipment Maintenance Worth It?
The median salary for a equipment maintenance grad is $54,000 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 35% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $282,000 after 20 years!

Top Ranking Lists for Heavy Equipment Maintenance
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Trades Related to Heavy Equipment Maintenance
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to equipment maintenance.
Major | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Vehicle Maintenance & Repair | 61,193 |
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration | 19,871 |
Electronics Maintenance & Repair | 8,056 |
Precision Systems Maintenance | 1,310 |
Mechanic & Repair Tech (Other) | 1,111 |
Mechanics & Repairers | 420 |
Energy Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies. | 61 |
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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