# Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines

> Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul mobile mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic equipment, such as cranes, bulldozers, graders, and conveyors, used in construction, logging, and mining.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/mobile-heavy-equipment-mechanics-except-engines
- SOC code: 49-3042.00
- Career family: Installation and repair
- Median annual pay: $65,510 (10th percentile $46,820, 90th percentile $94,460)
- Projected growth: Faster than average, +6.7%
- Openings a year: 15,000
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RCI)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 100 |
| Investigative (I) | 42 |
| Artistic (A) | 0 |
| Social (S) | 0 |
| Enterprising (E) | 0 |
| Conventional (C) | 56 |

## What you'd do

- Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment (importance 91/100)
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment (importance 87/100)
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (importance 85/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 81/100)
- Handling and Moving Objects (importance 81/100)
- Controlling Machines and Processes (importance 80/100)
- Getting Information (importance 79/100)
- Performing General Physical Activities (importance 75/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 75/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 74/100)

## Skills

Repairing, Troubleshooting, Equipment Maintenance, Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Equipment Selection, Quality Control Analysis, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making

## Knowledge

Mechanical, Customer and Personal Service, Mathematics, Computers and Electronics, Public Safety and Security, Building and Construction, English Language, Transportation, Engineering and Technology, Physics

## Also called

Brake Mechanic, Bulldozer Mechanic, Caterpillar Mechanic, Clutch Mechanic, Construction Equipment Mechanic, Construction Equipment Overhauler, Crane Mechanic, Crane Technician, Dinkey Engine Mechanic, Dinkey Mechanic

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4703) (CIP 4703, 305 colleges)
- [Agricultural Mechanization](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0102) (CIP 0102, 90 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Iowa State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/iowa-state-university-1305) | Agricultural Mechanization | $69,450 | $78,890 | $15,777 |
| [Kansas State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/kansas-state-university-1364) | Agricultural Mechanization | not reported | $78,537 | not reported |
| [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo SLO](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo-slo-360) | Agricultural Mechanization | $68,847 | $78,080 | not reported |
| [University of Nebraska-Lincoln Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-nebraska-lincoln-main-campus-2975) | Agricultural Mechanization | $61,751 | $74,003 | not reported |
| [Purdue University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/purdue-university-main-campus-2163) | Agricultural Mechanization | $63,519 | $73,393 | not reported |
| [South Dakota State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/south-dakota-state-university-2445) | Agricultural Mechanization | $64,756 | $67,746 | $19,569 |
| [Sam Houston State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/sam-houston-state-university-2333) | Agricultural Mechanization | $59,342 | $67,729 | not reported |
| [North Carolina State University at Raleigh](https://www.collegesref.com/college/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh-1884) | Agricultural Mechanization | $54,479 | $60,122 | not reported |

## Related careers

- [Industrial Machinery Mechanics](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/industrial-machinery-mechanics): $64,520 median pay
- [Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/bus-and-truck-mechanics-and-diesel-engine-specialists): $61,770 median pay
- [Maintenance Workers, Machinery](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/maintenance-workers-machinery): $60,850 median pay
- [Rail Car Repairers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/rail-car-repairers): $67,530 median pay
- [Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/electric-motor-power-tool-and-related-repairers): $56,210 median pay
- [Engine and Other Machine Assemblers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/engine-and-other-machine-assemblers): $53,710 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.