Heavy Equipment Mechanic job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

O*NET occupation

Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines

O*NET-SOC 49-3042.00

Preparation

Job Zone 3 of 5

medium preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$65,510

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines (O*NET-SOC 49-3042.00). O*NET 31.0 lists “Heavy Equipment Mechanic” in its Sample of Reported Titles (the titles job holders report) for this occupation only (also listed from O*NET job-incumbent data, the SOC Index, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and employer job postings). 1 other occupation carries it only as an alternate title (from O*NET job-incumbent data), never as a reported title or a SOC Index title. Figures on this page are for that occupation. TryHired has no separate career page for this title yet.

1. Repair and replace damaged or worn parts. importance 4.5 of 5
2. Test mechanical products and equipment after repair or assembly to ensure proper performance and compliance with manufacturers' specifications. importance 4.4 of 5
3. Operate and inspect machines or heavy equipment to diagnose defects. importance 4.4 of 5
4. Read and understand operating manuals, blueprints, and technical drawings. importance 4.3 of 5
5. Dismantle and reassemble heavy equipment using hoists and hand tools. importance 4.2 of 5
6. Overhaul and test machines or equipment to ensure operating efficiency. importance 4.2 of 5
7. Adjust, maintain, and repair or replace subassemblies, such as transmissions and crawler heads, using hand tools, jacks, and cranes. importance 4.2 of 5
8. Repair, rewire, and troubleshoot electrical systems. importance 4.2 of 5
9. Diagnose faults or malfunctions to determine required repairs, using engine diagnostic equipment such as computerized test equipment and calibration devices. importance 4.2 of 5
10. Examine parts for damage or excessive wear, using micrometers and gauges. importance 4.0 of 5
11. Weld or solder broken parts and structural members, using electric or gas welders and soldering tools. importance 4.0 of 5
12. Research, order, and maintain parts inventory for services and repairs. importance 4.0 of 5
13. Fit bearings to adjust, repair, or overhaul mobile mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic equipment. importance 4.0 of 5
14. Schedule maintenance for industrial machines and equipment, and keep equipment service records. importance 4.0 of 5
15. Clean, lubricate, and perform other routine maintenance work on equipment and vehicles. importance 3.9 of 5
16. Assemble gear systems, and align frames and gears. importance 3.9 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Making Decisions and Solving Problems and Handling and Moving Objects.

Knowledge areas: Mechanical, Customer and Personal Service, Mathematics, Computers and Electronics and Public Safety and Security.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Fleet management software, Maintenance management software. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists long-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 3 of 5 (medium preparation). Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

Most heavy equipment mechanics surveyed by O*NET (55%) name a post-secondary certificate as the education the job requires.

Job title: Heavy Equipment Mechanic
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Heavy Equipment Mechanic to diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul mobile mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic equipment, such as cranes, bulldozers, graders, and conveyors, used in construction, logging, and mining.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Repair and replace damaged or worn parts.
- Test mechanical products and equipment after repair or assembly to ensure proper performance and compliance with manufacturers' specifications.
- Operate and inspect machines or heavy equipment to diagnose defects.
- Read and understand operating manuals, blueprints, and technical drawings.
- Dismantle and reassemble heavy equipment using hoists and hand tools.
- Overhaul and test machines or equipment to ensure operating efficiency.
- Adjust, maintain, and repair or replace subassemblies, such as transmissions and crawler heads, using hand tools, jacks, and cranes.
- Repair, rewire, and troubleshoot electrical systems.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in troubleshooting, repairing and equipment maintenance
- Working knowledge of Mechanical and Customer and Personal Service
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

For Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines, the median annual wage was $65,510 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $31.50. BLS estimates about 176,600 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines to grow 6.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 15,000 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real heavy equipment mechanic posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Repair and replace damaged or worn parts”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only heavy equipment mechanic work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (troubleshooting and repairing): a real situation, what you did and what changed.