Industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights held about 464,400 jobs in 2014. The industries that employed the most industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights were as follows:

Most worked in factories, refineries, food-processing facilities, or power plants, or at construction sites.

Injuries and Illnesses

Industrial machinery mechanics and machinery maintenance workers have higher rates of injuries and illnesses than the national average. To avoid injuries, workers must follow safety precautions and use protective equipment, such as hardhats, safety glasses, steel-toed shoes, gloves, and earplugs.

Work Schedules

Most industrial machinery mechanics and machinery maintenance workers are employed full time during regular business hours. However, mechanics may be on call and work night or weekend shifts. Overtime is common, particularly for mechanics.

Millwrights are typically employed on a contract basis and frequently spend only a few days or weeks at a single site—as long as it takes them to assemble or disassemble an industrial machine. As a result, workers often have variable schedules and may experience downtime between jobs.