← All careers

Skilled Trades

Maintenance Workers, Machinery

Lubricate machinery, change parts, or perform other routine machinery maintenance.

Median salary (BLS)

$60,850

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$42k – $89k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $70,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Maintenance Workers, Machinery

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: No degree (trade/license)

Plan my path to this →

How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Maintenance Workers, Machinery" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Maintenance Workers, Machinery

    Entry / Junior

    $42,000

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Maintenance Workers, Machinery

    Established

    $60,850

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Maintenance Workers, Machinery

    Senior

    $74,700

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Dismantle machines and remove parts for repair, using hand tools, chain falls, jacks, cranes, or hoists.
  • •Reassemble machines after the completion of repair or maintenance work.
  • •Record production, repair, and machine maintenance information.
  • •Lubricate or apply adhesives or other materials to machines, machine parts, or other equipment according to specified procedures.
  • •Install, replace, or change machine parts and attachments, according to production specifications.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

Explore all

Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.