The Industrial machinery industry employs over 2 million people in the United States alone, with an average salary of $75,000 per year.
Since the industry continues to grow, it’s possible to find many industrial machinery jobs offering much higher salaries than this average amount. To help you find the best-paying jobs in industrial machinery manufacturing, we’ve researched and ranked the top 10 positions on our list here.
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1. Agricultural Equipment Mechanics
A career as an agricultural equipment mechanic is a lucrative one.
According to PayScale, an agricultural mechanic earns a median salary of about $32,000 per year, and top earners can make upwards of $61,000 per year.
2. Millwrights
As per Payscale, a millwright’s salary ranges from $31,000 to $54,000 annually. However, it should be noted that with experience and additional credentials such as an associate degree or additional courses on machine operations or maintenance at technical schools.
Millwrights can also earn up to $72,000 per year. This professional usually need a post-secondary education of one year or two years of study and may need an apprenticeship before becoming a journeyman.
3. Maintenance and Repair Engineers
It is one of those blue-collar jobs with a redefined salary. According to data, maintenance and repair engineers earn $67,380 on average, which compiles salary information for every occupation in America.
According to BLS statistics, these professionals bring home median salaries of around $73,100 per year—nearly $6K more than their counterparts who work in offices! The same study revealed they earned roughly 1% less than all other mechanical engineers.
4. Crane Operators
Making a living as a crane operator is no small feat. It’s one of the top best-paying jobs in industrial machinery manufacturing. These operators ensure that cranes and other heavy machinery function correctly, from construction sites to factory floors.
They also operate cranes during the transportation and installation of heavy objects (like raw steel). To do their job well, they need to be safety conscious and have strong knowledge of construction procedures. The average salary for a crane operator is $50,000 per year, with some earning up to $80,000 per year.
5. Motor Vehicle Operators
The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that jobs for motor vehicle operators will grow by 11% between 2012 and 2022. However, the fastest-growing job is that of commercial and industrial machinery mechanic, with a projected increase of 40%.
This position involves diagnosing machine problems and fixing or replacing worn parts. Median annual pay: $39,720.
7. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
This is another way to go if you like machinery. The median annual wage for a heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver was $39,260 in May 2015. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $24,580, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $61,280.
Many drivers are part of two-person teams that deliver freight to customers while they drive. They usually share a single truck with their partner (who may or may not be related). After they drop off goods or pick up materials at one location, drivers will often return to their home base to rest for a day or two before making another delivery run.
8. Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
If you’re interested in inspecting, testing, sorting, sampling, or weighing industrial machinery and components (so are a lot of other people—there were almost 3.4 million job postings for industrial machinery and maintenance jobs last year), then you should know that most of these professions require some post-secondary education.
Specifically, many positions require two to four years of post-secondary education at a vocational school or community college. However, on top of that base requirement, it is also helpful to have a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree.
9. Locomotive Engineers
These technical professionals are responsible for ensuring that a locomotive is safely operating on railways across America. They have to be skilled at performing preventative maintenance and repairs to do so. Most engineers have an associate’s degree and take courses such as thermodynamics, hydraulics, mechanical measurements, electrical systems, and safety practices before receiving certification.
Once certified, it’s not uncommon for locomotive engineers to receive over $80K per year.
10. Helpers—Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers
The BLS says you can expect to see a 21 percent increase in employment of installation, maintenance, and repair workers from 2010 to 2020. This category includes people who work as electricians, plumbers, and HVAC mechanics. These are good jobs for those with a bachelor’s degree and may require additional licensing or certification if employed by commercial building owners.
Start by looking for openings at your local union hall—many large employers prefer hiring through unions because of their vital apprenticeship programs. Also, don’t discount small businesses—they’re often looking for reliable talent. Remember: Start that process now if you need to get a license or certification to work in your state! You’ll have to meet specific requirements before even applying for some jobs.
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
A first-line supervisor is tasked with making sure a job is done well. This person should have several years of experience as a machine operator or mechanic, be able to keep track of dozens of details at once, and quickly assess if something isn’t working correctly on a machine.
They should also be able to correct problems and train other workers on best practices. As these are critical skills for supervising employees, mechanics who work as supervisors earn an average annual salary of $68,260 per year (and sometimes more). With hard work and a good education, they can quickly move up within their company.
Conclusion
This is an excellent question to help you learn more about industrial machinery and components, essential parts of any manufacturing operation. They are critical for production runs and maintaining a smooth operation. Quality control, repair, maintenance, service technician, and machine works. These all add to some good career opportunities for those interested in developing a career on that level. Given that salaries tend to be higher than average (especially as you move up), they’re undoubtedly worth pursuing.
Suppose you’re looking at going into any engineering field. In that case, it helps to start with an education at a community college or technical school. You can then transfer to a four-year university and complete your bachelor’s degree there. Having a master’s degree will also give you an edge over other applicants for many positions.
The top ten best paying jobs in industrial machinery manufacturing include research and development engineers, mechanics job, quality control engineers job, automation engineers job, machinists job; mechanical engineers job; electrical engineers job; construction equipment mechanics job; electrical power generation equipment installation technicians; automotive body and related repairers—and finally assembly line workers. All of these jobs pay above $50K per year on average!
