Industrial machinery mechanics and machinery maintenance workers maintain and repair factory equipment and other industrial machinery, such as conveying systems, production machinery, and packaging equipment. Millwrights install, dismantle, repair, reassemble, and move machinery in factories, power plants, and construction sites.

Workers in this occupation must follow safety precautions and use protective equipment, such as hardhats, safety glasses, and hearing protectors. Most work full time in factories, refineries, food-processing facilities, or power plants, or at construction sites. However, they may be on call and work night or weekend shifts. Overtime is common.

Industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights typically need a high school diploma. However, industrial machinery mechanics need a year or more of training either on the job or through a technical school, whereas machinery maintenance workers typically receive on-the-job training that lasts up to a year. Most millwrights go through a 4-year apprenticeship.

Employment of industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights is projected to grow 16 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. The need to keep increasingly sophisticated machinery functioning and efficient will drive demand for these workers. Job prospects for qualified applicants should be good.

This occupation supported 447,700 jobs in 2012 and 464,299 jobs in 2014, reflecting an increase of 3.7%. In 2012, this occupation was projected to increase by 17.3% in 2022 to 525,200 jobs. As of 2014, to keep pace with prediction, the expected number of jobs was 463,200, compared with an observed value of 464,299, 0.2% higher than expected. This indicates current employment trends are about on track with the 2012 trend within this occupation. In 2014, this occupation was projected to increase by 16.4% in 2024 to 537,699 jobs. Linear extrapolation of the 2012 projection for 2022 results in an expected number of 540,700 jobs for 2024, 0.6% higher than the 2014 projection for 2024. This indicates expectations for future employment trends are about on track with the 2012 trend within this occupation.