Engine and Other Machine Assemblers
US occupation · SOC 51-2031
Job titles people report: Assembler, Assembly Line Worker, Cell Technician, Engine Assembler, Engine Builder, Field Service Technician, Fitter, Large Engine Assembler, Machine Assembler, Mechanical Assembler
Pay and outlook
- Median annual wage, May 2025
- $53,710
- Half earn more, half earn less
- Middle half earn
- $45,230 – $74,920
- 25th to 75th percentile
- People employed, May 2025
- 34,000
- Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)
- Projected change, 2025–35
- -17%
- Shrinking (below 0%)
- Openings a year (projected)
- 2,100
- New jobs plus replacing people who leave
- Typical education to enter
- High school diploma or equivalent
- BLS
- All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
- Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
- Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.
What the work involves
Construct, assemble, or rebuild machines, such as engines, turbines, and similar equipment used in such industries as construction, extraction, textiles, and paper manufacturing.
Main tasks
- Read and interpret assembly blueprints or specifications manuals, and plan assembly or building operations.
- Inspect, operate, and test completed products to verify functioning, machine capabilities, or conformance to customer specifications.
- Position or align components for assembly, manually or using hoists.
- Set and verify parts clearances.
- Verify conformance of parts to stock lists or blueprints, using measuring instruments such as calipers, gauges, or micrometers.
- Fasten or install piping, fixtures, or wiring and electrical components to form assemblies or subassemblies, using hand tools, rivet guns, or welding equipment.
- Remove rough spots and smooth surfaces to fit, trim, or clean parts, using hand tools or power tools.
- Lay out and drill, ream, tap, or cut parts for assembly.
Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.
Getting in
- Typical education to enter (BLS)
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Training once hired: moderate-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone 1–2
- Little to some preparation
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Interests it suits
The strongest of the six O*NET interest types for this occupation, highest first. The short glosses are ours.
- Realistic: hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
- Conventional: organising information, records and procedures
- Investigative: research, analysis and solving problems with ideas
Fields of study that lead here
From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 1 programme to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.
Fields
Our college matcher doesn't offer this field as a major, so we can't suggest colleges for it here.
Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians
- Engine Machinist
Related careers
Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
$65,380 median · -5.6% projected
- Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers
$56,210 median · +4.4% projected
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics
$64,520 median · +17.8% projected
- Rail Car Repairers
$67,530 median · +2.6% projected
- Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door
$74,340 median · +4.3% projected
- Millwrights
$65,700 median · +0.9% projected
Sources
This page includes information from the 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. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CollegeMatcher has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET 31.0 Database · CC BY 4.0
Changes: we show the core tasks in the O*NET database with the highest importance ratings (up to eight, in that order), the top three O*NET interest types by score, and shortened Job Zone names. Titles, descriptions and task text are unchanged.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Projections, typical entry education and training: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Fields of study: NCES and BLS CIP 2020–SOC 2018 Crosswalk. All public domain. OEWS · Employment Projections · CIP–SOC crosswalk