Executive Summary

About 180,270 mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines work nationally, and $63,980 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 8% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 3.4% annual growth.

Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines: what the data shows

Common questions about mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.

What is a mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines?

Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 49-3042.

U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 180,270 workers.

What does a mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines do?

O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Handling and Moving Objects, Controlling Machines and Processes, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.

How much does a mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines make?

BLS national median annual wage: $63,980 (May 2024 in our extract).

Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $85,392 — 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 percentileAnnual wage
10th percentile$50,218
25th percentile$64,976
Median (50th)$80,165
75th percentile$101,104
90th percentile$130,845

What skills do you need?

O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Troubleshooting, Repairing, Equipment Maintenance, Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Equipment Selection, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, Customer and Personal Service, Mathematics, Computers and Electronics. See Education & Skills for detail.

Is mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines in demand?

Historical employment trend in our series implies about 3.4% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).

Five-year projected employment change: 17.9%.

Ten-year projected employment change: 39.0%.

Current U.S. headcount: 180,270.

We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.

Where do mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except enginess work?

Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:

IndustryEmploymentShare
Cross-industry180,27019.5%
Cross-industry, Private Ownership only165,20017.9%
Wholesale Trade49,7205.4%
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods48,7605.3%
Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers46,7505.1%
Construction43,1904.7%

See Industry for charts.

What degrees lead to this career?

Common majors for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines in O*NET:

See Related degrees.

What careers are related?

Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:

OccupationU.S. employmentMedian wage
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians136,390$78,680
Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians36,880$52,080
Motorcycle Mechanics14,010$47,200
Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics34,240$46,560
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics688,840$49,670
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers2,070,480$57,440
Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians18,710$50,540

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines workforce.

Employment Over Time

180,270 U.S. workforce (OEWS)

California employment for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines grew from 49,580 in 2009 to 84,000 in 2025 (69.4%).

Historical employment for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines 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

$63,980 Median pay (BLS national)

Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines earn $63,980 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 Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines.

Salary distribution for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines.

Employment Growth Projections

3.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

99,045 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: 17.9%

116,785 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: 39.0%

This occupation is projected to grow at 3.4% annually, indicating strong future demand.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines.

Wage Trends by Industry

3.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines.

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:

  • CA: 21,170 employees, $83,150 avg wage
  • TX: 19,850 employees, $62,840 avg wage
  • FL: 9,760 employees, $64,200 avg wage
  • AZ: 7,840 employees, $64,990 avg wage
  • PA: 7,560 employees, $63,620 avg wage
  • GA: 6,620 employees, $60,390 avg wage
  • OH: 5,900 employees, $64,280 avg wage
  • LA: 5,650 employees, $58,420 avg wage
  • VA: 4,990 employees, $64,350 avg wage
  • NC: 4,810 employees, $62,380 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 7,900 employees, $93,080 avg wage
  • Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 5,380 employees, $66,180 avg wage
  • Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 5,170 employees, $63,390 avg wage
  • New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 4,430 employees, $77,310 avg wage
  • Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 4,320 employees, $63,230 avg wage
  • Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 3,610 employees, $62,160 avg wage
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 2,820 employees, $69,890 avg wage
  • San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 2,520 employees, $97,080 avg wage
  • Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 2,330 employees, $68,170 avg wage
  • Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 2,280 employees, $69,750 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines.

Diversity

Demographic information on Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines in the US.

Gender and Age

The U.S. workforce for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines is about 180,270 people in our OEWS extract.

Gender and age distribution for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines.

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 Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines in 2023 were Technical Training, Engineering, Mechanical Engineering.

Common majors for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines workers.

Education level distribution for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines.

Skills

Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines need many skills, but most especially Troubleshooting, Repairing, Equipment Maintenance, Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control.

Required skills for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines include Mechanical, Customer and Personal Service, Mathematics, Computers and Electronics, Public Safety and Security.

Knowledge areas required for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines include Control Precision, Manual Dexterity, Near Vision, Extent Flexibility, Finger Dexterity.

Required abilities for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines.

Daily Activities

Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines spend their time on activities such as Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Handling and Moving Objects.

Most important work activities for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines.

About

Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines

Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines earn $63,980 as the BLS national median annual wage.

SOC Code

49-3042 - Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines reports an average salary of $85,392.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 180,270 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 3.4%, 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.