Factories are adding robots, sensors and software that predict when a machine will fail. Industrial machinery mechanics, maintenance workers and millwrights are the people who install, repair, adjust and keep that equipment running.
The short answer: automation is creating work for this job, not taking it. The ILO's 2025 index rates agricultural and industrial machinery mechanics and repairers as not exposed, with a score of 0.17. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 18 percent growth for industrial machinery mechanics from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, and about 51,900 openings a year across the whole group. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed industrial mechanics are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural and Industrial Machinery Mechanics and Repairers | Not exposed | 0.17 |
The ILO index measures generative AI, not robots or automated machines.
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial machinery mechanics | Grow 18% | In total |
| Maintenance workers, machinery | Decline 2% | In total |
| Millwrights | Grow 1% | In total |
| Total for the group | Grow 14% | About 51,900 |
The BLS says the continued adoption of automated manufacturing machinery is expected to create jobs for these workers, because they will be needed to keep the machines in good working order. That makes this one of the clearest cases where the BLS sees automation adding jobs.
Where AI is helping
- Sensor data that predicts wear and failures.
- Searching technical manuals and fault codes.
- Planning maintenance schedules and parts orders.
- Drafting work orders and repair logs.
What stays with industrial mechanics
- Repair: taking machines apart and replacing broken parts.
- Calibration: adjusting equipment to specifications and running test batches.
- Installation: moving, leveling and aligning heavy machinery.
- Checking AI help: AI answers about procedures or settings can be wrong, so the manufacturer's manual wins, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
More automated equipment means more machines to maintain, and more of it runs on electronics and software. Mechanics who can work on controls and robots as well as mechanical parts have more options.
See also will AI replace mechanics?, will AI replace machinists? and will AI replace factory workers?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for industrial machinery mechanics and maintenance workers and millwrights at $64,100 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: high school diploma or equivalent. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace industrial machinery mechanics?
No. The BLS projects 18 percent growth from 2025 to 2035 and says automated machinery will create jobs for them.
What about millwrights?
The BLS projects 1 percent growth for millwrights and a 2 percent decline for machinery maintenance workers.
How many openings are expected?
The BLS projects about 51,900 openings a year across industrial mechanics, machinery maintenance workers and millwrights.
What industrial maintenance work stays human?
Repair, calibration, installing heavy machinery and checking AI answers against the manual.