Industrial Mechanics & Maintenance

Types of Degrees Industrial Mechanics & Maintenance Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many industrial mechanics & maintenance technology graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	3,984
Undergraduate Certificate	2,189
Associate Degree	1,305

What Industrial Mechanics & Maintenance Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, industrial mechanics and maintenance tech 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 Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Tech Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in industrial mechanics and maintenance tech should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• 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.
• 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.

Skills for Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Tech Majors

A major in industrial mechanics and maintenance tech prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
• Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Equipment Maintenance - Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
• Troubleshooting - Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Tech Majors

Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Tech majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• 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).
• 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.
• Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

What Can You Do With a Industrial Mechanics & Maintenance Major?

People with a industrial mechanics and maintenance tech degree often go into the following careers:

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
Wind Turbine Service Technicians	94.8%	$54,370

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Industrial Mechanics & Maintenance?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 93% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of industrial mechanics and maintenance tech majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	20
Black or African American	111
Hispanic or Latino	139
White	946
International Students	6
Other Races/Ethnicities	83

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Tech, too. About 0.5% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Industrial Mechanics & Maintenance Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $52,510 to $58,000 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to industrial mechanics and maintenance tech. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

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 Industrial Mechanics & Maintenance

Some degrees associated with industrial mechanics and maintenance tech may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. 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 industrial mechanics and maintenance tech have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	3.1%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	42.5%
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)	32.3%
Some College Courses	7.9%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	8.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	2.7%
Master’s Degree	0.8%
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.	1.2%

Online Industrial Mechanics & Maintenance Programs

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)	220	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	37	0
Associate’s Degree	175	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 Industrial Mechanics & Maintenance Worth It?

The median salary for a industrial mechanics and maintenance tech 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!

Trades Related to Industrial Mechanics & Maintenance

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to industrial mechanics and maintenance tech.

Major	Number of Grads
Heavy Equipment Maintenance Technology/Technician	923
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies, Other	45

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.