About This Career

Installs, dismantles, or moves machinery and heavy equipment according to layout plans, blueprints, or other drawings.

This career is part of the Architecture and Construction cluster Maintenance/Operations pathway.

A person in this career:

• Inserts shims, adjusts tension on nuts and bolts, or positions parts, using hand tools and measuring instruments, to set specified clearances between moving and stationary parts.
• Aligns machines or equipment, using hoists, jacks, hand tools, squares, rules, micrometers, lasers, or plumb bobs.
• Levels bedplate and establishes centerline, using straightedge, levels, and transit.
• Signals crane operator to lower basic assembly units to bedplate, and aligns unit to centerline.
• Assembles and installs equipment, using hand tools and power tools.
• Conducts preventative maintenance and repair, and lubricates machines and equipment.
• Replaces defective parts of machine, or adjusts clearances and alignment of moving parts.
• Attaches moving parts and subassemblies to basic assembly unit, using hand tools and power tools.
• Assembles machines, and bolts, welds, rivets, or otherwise fasten them to foundation or other structures, using hand tools and power tools.
• Lays out mounting holes, using measuring instruments, and drills holes with power drill.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 50 lbs., sometimes up to 100 lbs. You will need a lot of strength at this level.
• Work in this occupation involves bending or twisting your body more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Requires getting into awkward positions
• Lighting is either extremely bright or inadequate
• Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Exposed to conditions such as high voltage electricity, combustibles, explosives, and chemicals more than once a month
• Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves use of special protective items such as a breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suit, or radiation protection
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time
• Work at heights above 8 feet more than once a month on structures such as ladders, poles, scaffolding, and catwalks

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
• Maintaining a body position that prevents falling when in an unstable position
• Judging how far away an object is, or which of several objects is closer or farther away
• Using muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring
• Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Detecting sounds and hearing the differences between sounds of different pitch and loudness
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
• Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying objects
• Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Work Hours and Travel

• Overtime work