Maintenance Workers, Machinery Salary: $60,500 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 56,540 maintenance workers, machinery work nationally, and $60,500 is the BLS national median annual wage. Projections imply about 0.7% annual decline; much hiring sits in manufacturing.
Maintenance Workers, Machinery: what the data shows
Common questions about maintenance workers, machinery careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a maintenance workers, machinery?
Maintenance Workers, Machinery is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 49-9043.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 56,540 workers.
What does a maintenance workers, machinery do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Getting Information, Controlling Machines and Processes, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a maintenance workers, machinery make?
BLS national median annual wage: $60,500 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $70,265 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $46,254 |
| 25th percentile | $53,731 |
| Median (50th) | $67,903 |
| 75th percentile | $80,000 |
| 90th percentile | $96,801 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, Operations Monitoring, Troubleshooting, Operation and Control, Coordination, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, Mathematics, Design, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is maintenance workers, machinery in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.7% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -3.6%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -7.1%.
Current U.S. headcount: 56,540.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do maintenance workers, machinerys work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 56,540 | 19.9% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 54,450 | 19.2% |
| Manufacturing | 31,060 | 10.9% |
| Food Manufacturing | 5,260 | 1.9% |
| Wholesale Trade | 4,680 | 1.6% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 4,030 | 1.4% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Maintenance Workers, Machinery in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Highway Maintenance Workers | 151,750 | $49,070 |
| Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers | 97,540 | $38,860 |
| Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators | 16,480 | $67,370 |
| Avionics Technicians | 20,900 | $81,390 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,531,700 | $48,620 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other | 183,690 | $48,640 |
| Motorcycle Mechanics | 14,010 | $47,200 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Maintenance Workers, Machinery workforce.
Employment Over Time
56,540 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Maintenance Workers, Machinery shrank from 16,480 in 2009 to 14,640 in 2025 (11.2%).
Historical employment for Maintenance Workers, Machinery from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$60,500 Median pay (BLS national)
Maintenance Workers, Machinery earn $60,500 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Maintenance Workers, Machinery.
Salary distribution for Maintenance Workers, Machinery.
Employment Growth Projections
-0.7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
14,108 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -3.6%
13,595 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -7.1%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Maintenance Workers, Machinery.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Maintenance Workers, Machinery and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Maintenance Workers, Machinery employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Maintenance Workers, Machinery.
Wage Trends by Industry
-9.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Maintenance Workers, Machinery.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Maintenance Workers, Machinery.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 8,850 employees, $59,030 avg wage
- NC: 3,910 employees, $58,520 avg wage
- CA: 3,730 employees, $68,420 avg wage
- FL: 2,780 employees, $60,690 avg wage
- NY: 2,440 employees, $68,760 avg wage
- GA: 2,350 employees, $59,420 avg wage
- OH: 2,180 employees, $63,030 avg wage
- KY: 2,050 employees, $60,700 avg wage
- OK: 1,790 employees, $64,590 avg wage
- MI: 1,570 employees, $58,950 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Maintenance Workers, Machinery.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 2,440 employees, $59,610 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 1,940 employees, $59,380 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 1,110 employees, $55,850 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 1,040 employees, $69,510 avg wage
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL: 1,030 employees, $62,390 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 1,000 employees, $79,920 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 920 employees, $63,750 avg wage
- San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX: 880 employees, $55,740 avg wage
- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD: 850 employees, $58,070 avg wage
- Salt Lake City-Murray, UT: 820 employees, $64,800 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Maintenance Workers, Machinery.
Diversity
Demographic information on Maintenance Workers, Machinery in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Maintenance Workers, Machinery is about 56,540 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Maintenance Workers, Machinery.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Maintenance Workers, Machinery.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Maintenance Workers, Machinery.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Maintenance Workers, Machinery in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Maintenance Workers, Machinery.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Maintenance Workers, Machinery workers.
Education level distribution for Maintenance Workers, Machinery.
Skills
Maintenance Workers, Machinery need many skills, but most especially Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, Operations Monitoring, Troubleshooting, Operation and Control.
Required skills for Maintenance Workers, Machinery.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Maintenance Workers, Machinery.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Maintenance Workers, Machinery include Mechanical, Mathematics, Design, English Language, Engineering and Technology.
Knowledge areas required for Maintenance Workers, Machinery.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Maintenance Workers, Machinery include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Problem Sensitivity, Near Vision, Control Precision, Oral Comprehension.
Required abilities for Maintenance Workers, Machinery.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Maintenance Workers, Machinery.
Daily Activities
Maintenance Workers, Machinery spend their time on activities such as Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Getting Information, Controlling Machines and Processes, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings.
Most important work activities for Maintenance Workers, Machinery.
About
Maintenance Workers, Machinery
Maintenance Workers, Machinery earn $60,500 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
49-9043 - Maintenance Workers, Machinery
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Maintenance Workers, Machinery reports an average salary of $70,265.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 56,540 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -0.7%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.