Compare A Maintenance Electrician ↔ B Industrial Machinery Mechanic

Compare with

Your route

2 moves · +$3,360 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Electric Motor Repairer: experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET, most common).
Move 2, to Industrial Machinery Mechanic: license depends on the work (No Texas license for in-house maintenance: electrician (1305.003(a)(8)) and plumbing (1301.053(a)(1)) laws exempt maintenance staff who do not work for the public. Refrigerant work needs EPA 608).

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Maintenance Electrician to Electric Motor Repairer +$1,720 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.83 (same lateral rule, started from this rung; target is the related occupation's role nearest this rung's level band).
- Gates: experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET, most common).
- Skills to build: Equipment Maintenance, Equipment Selection, Repairing
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Electric Motor Repairer to Industrial Machinery Mechanic +$1,640 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Industrial Machinery Mechanics as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.92.
- Gates: license depends on the work (No Texas license for in-house maintenance: electrician (1305.003(a)(8)) and plumbing (1301.053(a)(1)) laws exempt maintenance staff who do not work for the public. Refrigerant work needs EPA 608).
- Skills to build: Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring

Side by side

All Industrial Machinery Mechanics: Texas median $61,930, $3,360 more a year than all Electricians ($58,570), every experience level.

More than 40 hours a week: Industrial Machinery Mechanic 47%, Maintenance Electrician 35%.

This level's pay

A $26.61 to $31.87/h City of Austin (incl. Austin Energy) pay range, 2025

B No headline record for this level

No published schedule lists both jobs, so no level-specific difference is shown.

Occupation-wide pay all experience levels, not this level's pay; Texas median, base pay, $0 to $300k

$58,570+$3,360$61,930

Gates on the route: Electric Motor Repairer: experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET, most common); Industrial Machinery Mechanic: license depends on the work (No Texas license for in-house maintenance: electrician (1305.003(a)(8)) and plumbing (1301.053(a)(1)) laws exempt maintenance staff who do not work for the public. Refrigerant work needs EPA 608).

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +14.4% Texas, 8,100 openings a year

B +21.8% Texas, 6,380 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

35%+12 pts47%

Physical load our index from O*NET, 1 to 5; A B; largest differences first

4.1 / 5-1.22.9 / 5

Climbing ladders-2.21Climbing ladders: A 4.2, B 1.99
Bending or twisting-2.08Bending or twisting: A 4.68, B 2.6
Keeping balance-2.02Keeping balance: A 3.85, B 1.83
Cramped space-1.47Cramped space: A 4.4, B 2.93
Outdoors, all weather-1.44Outdoors, all weather: A 4.13, B 2.69

Degree

A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 1% do).

B Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 0% do).

License

A TDLR Maintenance Electrician license, unless the work is in-house maintenance for one employer with no new construction (1305.003(a)(8)).

B No Texas license for in-house maintenance: electrician (1305.003(a)(8)) and plumbing (1301.053(a)(1)) laws exempt maintenance staff who do not work for the public. Refrigerant work needs EPA 608.

Experience

A Most common related work experience: over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (O*NET: 28%).

B Most common related work experience: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (O*NET: 32%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Troubleshooting
Critical Thinking
Active Learning
Active Listening
Complex Problem Solving
Equipment Selection

To build: 5

Equipment Maintenance +1.00
Operation and Control +1.00
Operations Monitoring +0.88
Quality Control Analysis +0.50
Repairing +0.50

Make this your goal

Save Maintenance Electrician to Industrial Machinery Mechanic as your goal. Each step then shows the hours you have logged toward it, your exam practice and your license, with the one thing to do next and the 5 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.