Industrial Machinery Mechanics
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · SOC 49-9041
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 49-9041 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 2.4%
- Medium · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 66/100
- High friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $64,520
- H-1B offered wage $53,206; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 37,800
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +16.1%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 10
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 53,202 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
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AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~27.4% of this role but only ~2.4% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Industrial Machinery Mechanic, Industrial Mechanic, Loom Fixer, Loom Technician, Machine Adjuster, Machine Mechanic
Representative Tasks
- •Repair or maintain the operating condition of industrial production or processing machinery or equipment.
- •Repair or replace broken or malfunctioning components of machinery or equipment.
- •Clean, lubricate, or adjust parts, equipment, or machinery.
- •Disassemble machinery or equipment to remove parts and make repairs.
- •Reassemble equipment after completion of inspections, testing, or repairs.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Maintain work equipment or machinery.
- •Repair worn, damaged, or defective mechanical parts.
- •Replace worn, damaged, or defective mechanical parts.
- •Adjust equipment to ensure optimal performance.
- •Clean equipment, parts, or tools to repair or maintain them in good working order.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 2.4% | 1.6% |
| Outlook | Average | 24% Bright |
| Median Salary | $64,520 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 98/100 | N/A |