If you enjoy working with your hands and with heavy machinery then you may want to consider becoming a heavy equipment mechanic. Not only is a mechanic’s job growth and outlook positive but you can make a good and steady salary performing this job and these types of tasks. Before diving in or starting your own business, review how much does a heavy equipment mechanic make and what you’ll need to succeed in this role.
Before we talk about how much money does a heavy duty mechanic make, let’s familiarize the job description first. A heavy equipment mechanic is prepared to diagnose, service, and repair heavy machinery or equipment. Here are a few areas of expertise or what they will do and work on:
Air brake systems
Transmissions
Mechanical and computer mechanical controls
High voltage generators
Pneumatic systems
It’s an important role in the construction or building industry, as these pieces of equipment are necessary for completing a wide variety of large projects such as completing structures and roads. It’s a tough job that requires a particular skill set so you’re probably wondering how much you can make a year or per hour and if it’s worth it to embark on this career path or not.
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
Working as a heavy equipment mechanic is all about being able to identify and fix problems as quickly as possible so the equipment can be used again. You not only need to work efficiently but also as safely as possible to ensure there are no injuries on the job. It’s a good reason to secure heavy equipment insurance and general liability or small business insurance for yourself and your workers.
Your salary will depend on your experience and what types of fixes you’re capable of making. So how much does a heavy duty mechanic make a year? The average annual salary for a heavy equipment mechanic is about $50,000. This amount can range anywhere from the low end of $33,000 and can get up to over $70,000 in some cases.
It’s important that if you want to earn more you work on improving your skills and gaining as much experience as you can over the years. For example, a mobile equipment mechanic, in particular, has the potential to earn the most.
Once again, how much a heavy equipment mechanic will make per hour depends on years of experience and skill set. The national average of how much a heavy equipment mechanic makes per hour is roughly $26. However, this amount can range anywhere from $14 to $37 per hour.
For example, you may want to think about working in California as some of the cities here fall into some of the top highest-paying cities for heavy mechanic jobs. The jobs are fruitful and the earnings tend to be above the national average in these areas.
The average or median salary and how much do heavy duty diesel mechanics make a year is roughly $46,000. The top percent of workers can even make over $90,000 annually. What this means is that if you work hard and gain the necessary skills and experience then you can possibly earn a pretty good living for yourself. Experts predict that job growth is quite positive for heavy equipment mechanics and diesel engine specialists.
When you’re first starting out you may make less as you complete tasks for an employer such as cleaning parts, checking oil and fuel levels, and driving the equipment in and from the various locations.
If you have more than 20 years of experience fixing and working on heavy equipment as a mechanic then you can potentially earn over $56,000 annually. The estimated hourly rate can fluctuate by state but does average out to be roughly around $22 per hour for a heavy machinery mechanic. How much you make may also depend on the industry you are working in.
These industries and areas of work can include:
Farms
Construction sites
Manufacturers
Warehouses
Wholesalers
If you’re in the right industry, have the right kind of and a lot of experience, and are working in a prime location then you can possibly make earnings and a salary on the higher end of the spectrum.
You can get a further idea of how much do heavy equipment mechanics make by taking a look at the specific pay for each kind of machine repaired. This section addresses all questions regarding this matter.
Heavy duty mechanics specializing in fixing tractors make $18.30 per hour. This translates to a daily income of $219. Provided that the work schedule is 5 days, then heavy duty mechanics working on tractors make $4,380 per month. This income is just the base pay for labor costs and does not include earnings from the sales of spare parts.
Heavy duty mechanics that specialize in fixing dump trucks usually charge $24 per hour. This translates to a daily income of $288. Note that the actual pay can be higher depending on what part of the dump truck broke down.
Heavy equipment technicians charge a lot for fixing a skid steer. They charge $50-$75 an hour for labor costs.
Heavy duty mechanics that work on bulldozers usually charge $60 per hour for labor. This translates to a monthly income of $8,640.
A construction heavy equipment mechanic makes $79,000 per year on average. Taking experience into account can provide clearer information. Entry level construction heavy equipment mechanics make $40,000 per year whereas senior level workers make $75,000 per year.
Now that you know about average heavy equipment mechanic salary based on annual income, hourly income, and other factors, it’s time to talk about how you can make more money.
If you’re working for an employer then you can try to get promoted and stay there a while so you are recognized for your hard work and talents. On the other hand, maybe you decide you want to start your own business and want to have more flexibility about the types of jobs you take on and projects you work on as a heavy equipment mechanic.
Mostly, your potential earnings and salary are going to depend on your years of experience as well as your location and where you are working specifically. Some jobs you may want to consider looking into and gaining the training and skills for to earn more are:
Heavy equipment maintenance manager
Heavy equipment transport driver
Heavy industry
Supervisory role for heavy equipment mechanics
If you work your way into management and supervising others then you can potentially increase your salary and earnings overall.
If you want to begin working as a heavy equipment mechanic or even own your own business one day then there are some necessary elements you’ll need to have in place from the start. For example, you’ll want to get the right education and knowledge and go through an apprenticeship program that can last up to five years. You’ll gain your certificate once you complete enough on-the-job training and technical training.
If you end up opening your own shop or business as a heavy equipment mechanic then keep in mind you’ll need to complete a lot of necessary tasks yourself. You’ll want to choose a location for your business or shop, have a marketing strategy for attracting new clients, and get insurance quotes related to different areas such as business, liability, workers’ compensation, and equipment insurance.
Generally speaking, your pay and salary will increase based on your skill level, experience, and location. Therefore, make a plan for what type of role you ultimately want to end up in, where you want to work, and if you want to become not only a heavy equipment mechanic but a business owner.
Business insurance is always an integral part of success. Click the “Get Quotes” button on this page to compare the offers of different insurance companies. Some of the policies we recommend you have are:
General liability insurance–Use this to cover costs in case a third party files a lawsuit after sustaining property damage or bodily injuries due to an accident that happened in your shop
Tools and equipment insurance–Tools and equipment insurance can be used to cover the cost of repairing or replacing diagnostic tools, tool kits, jacks, and other important objects you use to do repairs
Workers compensation insurance–In case of a work-related injury or disease, workers compensation insurance will cover the cost of treatment, lost wages, rehabilitation, and other benefits an employee must receive
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
Use anyone except Employers. Period. They are non-transparent and shameful. After I complained long enough to warrant a call from a supervisor, the supervisor called back from a PRIVATE NUMBER (no caller ID), left a message that they are not reversing their decision (without any communication with me), and failed to leave a phone number for me to call back. She was hiding! They also fact find via email and phone calls, which is terrific for speed and communication. However, after setting a precedence of email or phone calls, they send time sensitive information via email, without any heads up... they are hoping you miss it and forfeit via expiration. Evil policies. Go elsewhere.
This place is an absolute joke of a company and should be ashamed of the way they conduct business. I was hurt on the job at the end of July and it took them just shy of 7 weeks to issue out a paycheck to me. Yes the amount was back dated but still. Not many have the luxury of not receiving a paycheck for almost 2 months. To top it all off, the original adjuster marked me down for the wrong state which caused a problem from the get go, I've had 3 different adjusters now since each one can't seem to figure out the simplicity of my claim. All my paperwork which includes, my job, house, and drs visits all are from the same state and city but yet some how I have been filed under a completely different state 1500 miles away. They do not answer your phone calls or emails no matter how many you leave. I've had to escalate my frustrations to the supervisors of each of these individuals in order to even get some kind of response. I've had more communication and information given to me about my claim from the customer service representatives then the actual adjusters.......... please tell me how that works?! A serious overhaul needs to happen here in order to serve your clients the way they deserve to be taken care of. 10/10 do not recommend this company to a single soul on earth
I have never had the displeasure of working with a more incompetent and disrespectful person in my life. I’m an injured worker and the adjuster that was assigned to my case was named Carrie Furgeson. In the past 6 weeks that I’ve been injured and out of work I have only been able to get ahold of her twice, not for lack of trying. I have left countless voicemails, countless emails, and she ignores them all. When I am finally able to get ahold of her I’m greeted with terrible customer service. She is rude, she talks over me and I’m hardly able to get a word in edgewise. She spelled my name wrong on my documents even after I spelled it for her properly countless times, this caused a whole new issue with my bank. I have bill collectors from the hospital calling me demanding payment and Carrie Furgeson won’t do a single thing to help, or to get them paid. All of my documentation is in Colorado, my job is in Colorado, my address is in Colorado, all my Dr offices and appointments have been in Colorado and Carrie still managed to hold my claim because she wasn’t sure what state she needed to file it under. It’s been 6 weeks since my Injury and my company still hasn’t received the wage paperwork to fill out so they can get me my correct wages. When she’s not ignoring me she’s answering my questions with “I don’t know” well I don’t know how she got this job, because apparently she doesn’t know anything about it. She is a disgusting morose individual inside and out and I genuinely wish her the worst in all of her future endeavors. I highly recommend you don’t use this company. Please if you are a business owner and your looking into this company please don’t use them. I’m sure they have the cheapest payment and that’s why companies use them in the first place, but you will be doing your employees a grave disservice by forcing them to venture into this absolute dumpster fire of a company. I would rate 0/5 if possible but 1 was the lowest I was allowed.
Their general liability insurance purchase process is simply the best online experience I've ever had in my life!
As long as they cover your line of business, you're literally covered! best rates, best coverage, best online experience, best professionals, can't be happier that I chose them!
Not all those who wander are lost.
Disclosure: Insuranks.com is an independent educational comparison service and an advertising-supported publisher. Some of the companies/offers that appear on the website are from our partners which we may receive compensation from. This may influence which companies/offers we write about and where and how it appears on the site. However, this does not impact our assessments. We solely highlight companies, products, and offers that can help you make smarter insurance decisions.
