How To Become A Mechanist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a mechanist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a mechanist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $17.58 an hour? That's $36,562 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 1% and produce 3,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreMechanistUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $36,562

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.8

Growth rate 1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.52%

Asian 6.37%

Black or African American 4.04%

Hispanic or Latino 14.67%

Unknown 3.73%

White 70.67%

Gender

female 5.61%

male 94.39%

Age - 49

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 49

Stress level

5.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.7

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a mechanist

Explore mechanist education requirements

Most common mechanist degrees

High School Diploma

50.0 %

Associate

25.0 %

Bachelor's

16.7 %

Start to develop specific mechanist skills

Skills	Percentages
Pump Equipment	27.97%
Operate CNC	25.65%
CNC Machines	13.83%
Diesel Engines	12.78%
Drill Press	10.06%

Complete relevant mechanist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New mechanists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a mechanist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real mechanist resumes.

Research mechanist duties and responsibilities

Calculate dimensions and tolerances using knowledge of mathematics and instruments such as micrometers and vernier calipers.
Appraise and diagnose problems with locomotives.
Service and overhaul locomotives as required.

Prepare your mechanist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your mechanist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a mechanist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable mechanist resume templates

Build a professional mechanist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your mechanist resume.