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Industrial Mechanics & Maintenance Major

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Industrial Mechanics & Maintenance

1,491 Associates's Degrees Annually
0 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
#27 in Popularity (Associate's)
$54,000 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Industrial Mechanics & Maintenance Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many industrial mechanics and maintenance technology graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Basic Certificate 4,164
Undergraduate Certificate 2,143
Associate Degree 1,493

What Industrial Mechanics & Maintenance Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to industrial mechanics and maintenance tech were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

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:

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  • 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

When studying industrial mechanics and maintenance tech, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

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  • 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:

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  • 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?

Below is a list of occupations associated with industrial mechanics and maintenance tech:

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?

1,493 Associate's Degrees Annually
6% Percent Women
20% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This major attracts more men than women. About 94% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 17
Black or African American 102
Hispanic or Latino 135
White 1,157
International Students 3
Other Races/Ethnicities 79

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Tech, too. About 0.2% 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 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.

Median Salary for an Industrial Mechanics & Maintenance Major  ( 52510 to 58000 )
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250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some careers associated with industrial mechanics and maintenance tech 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 industrial mechanics and maintenance tech have obtained the following education levels.

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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

In 2020-2021, 319 schools offered a industrial mechanics and maintenance tech 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) 219 2
Certificate (2-4 Years) 39 0
Associate’s Degree 170 1
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!

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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 882
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies, Other 35

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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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