How To Become A Plant Mechanic: What It Is and Career Path

What is a plant mechanic and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Plant mechanics use their mechanical skills and technical knowledge to ensure that plant machinery is in good working condition. Their primary job duties include inspecting machines regularly, performing routine maintenance, conducting repairs and replacements when necessary, and keeping an accurate log of maintenance tasks. Plant mechanics work in various industries, including construction, manufacturing, and agriculture.

The work environment of a plant mechanic is often hazardous, as is the case of many labor-intensive industries. They typically work on a shift schedule and may work at unusual hours, depending on the needs of their company.

A plant mechanic must have at least a high school diploma or GED. More importantly, they must possess the technical skills and knowledge necessary for maintaining machinery, which they can obtain through training or an accredited apprenticeship. Moreover, the job of a plant mechanic requires physical strength, endurance, and manual dexterity to perform their duties safely and effectively.

On average, a plant mechanic makes roughly $22 an hour or around $46,000 a year. The salary of a plant mechanic depends on the type of industry they are working in and their level of skills and experience.

ScorePlant MechanicUS Average

Salary

3.5

Avg. Salary $45,332

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.8

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.63%

Asian 6.31%

Black or African American 10.02%

Hispanic or Latino 22.73%

Unknown 5.14%

White 55.18%

Gender

female 3.02%

male 96.98%

Age - 39

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 - 39

Stress level

7.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.2

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a plant mechanic

Explore plant mechanic education requirements

Most common plant mechanic degrees

Associate

32.0 %

High School Diploma

29.7 %

Bachelor's

22.8 %

Start to develop specific plant mechanic skills

Skills	Percentages
Preventative Maintenance	10.64%
Plant Equipment	9.06%
Plumbing	6.51%
Mechanical Equipment	6.05%
Hand Tools	4.87%

Complete relevant plant mechanic training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New plant mechanics 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 plant mechanic based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real plant mechanic resumes.

Research plant mechanic duties and responsibilities

Conduct troubleshooting of hydraulic and avionics components, as well s flight control rigging.
Perform general maintenance; light electrical, light plumbing, painting, light carpentry, and light construction.
Inspect, lubricate and replace bearings and gearboxes.
Experience with plumbing, sinks, toilets, traps, boiler piping, radiator and steam pipes.

Prepare your plant mechanic resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your plant mechanic 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 plant mechanic resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable plant mechanic resume templates

Build a professional plant mechanic 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 plant mechanic resume.