Industrial Machinery Mechanics
Repair, install, adjust, or maintain industrial production and processing machinery or refinery and pipeline distribution systems. May also install, dismantle, or move machinery and heavy equipment according to plans.
439,640 people do this job in the US. $64,520 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 17%
- 0%
- 83%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 14%. Today's estimate: 15%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 16 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Repair or maintain the operating condition of industrial production or processing machinery or equipment.Done daily by most who do it. | 29% | 4.2 h1.7 h to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Disassemble machinery or equipment to remove parts and make repairs.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 10% | 2.1 h38 min to 4.2 h | Stays with people | |
| Repair or replace broken or malfunctioning components of machinery or equipment.Done daily by most who do it. | 10% | 2.5 h50 min to 5 h | Stays with people | |
| Analyze test results, machine error messages, or information obtained from operators to diagnose equipment problems.Done daily by most who do it. | 9% | 1.3 h25 min to 2.5 h | 87%Half by now | |
| Clean, lubricate, or adjust parts, equipment, or machinery.Done daily by most who do it. | 8% | 1.3 h25 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Observe and test the operation of machinery or equipment to diagnose malfunctions, using voltmeters or other testing devices.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 7% | 1.7 h38 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Reassemble equipment after completion of inspections, testing, or repairs.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 1.7 h38 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Cut and weld metal to repair broken metal parts, fabricate new parts, or assemble new equipment.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 5% | 2.5 h50 min to 5 h | Stays with people | |
| Examine parts for defects, such as breakage or excessive wear.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 50 min17 min to 2.1 h | Stays with people | |
| Record parts or materials used and order or requisition new parts or materials, as necessary.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 38 min13 min to 1.3 h | 98%Half by now | |
| Operate newly repaired machinery or equipment to verify the adequacy of repairs.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 50 min17 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Enter codes and instructions to program computer-controlled machinery.Done more than monthly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 2% | 50 min17 min to 2.5 h | 87%Half by now |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Maintenance Workers, Machinery7% now, 7% by 2028
- Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers3% now, 3% by 2028
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic13% now, 13% by 2028
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines5% now, 5% by 2028
- Engine and Other Machine Assemblers8% now, 9% by 2028
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic18% now, 18% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
- Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance53,790 people
- Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers46,600 people
- Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)18,570 people
- Plastics Product Manufacturing14,570 people
- Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing13,210 people
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).