Industrial Machinery Mechanics in the Louisville/Jefferson County area earn a median of $62,590 a year, 2% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #239 of 388 metros for industrial machinery mechanic salaries across the U.S..
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Columbus and Bloomington, but less in Elizabethtown.
It's one of 6 Kentucky metros with published pay for this trade; see statewide industrial machinery mechanic pay.
Industrial Machinery Mechanic pay in Louisville/Jefferson County at a glance
- Industrial machinery mechanics in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY metro earn a median $62,590 a year ($30.09 an hour), #239 of 388 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $47,730 and $85,650.
- After local prices, that median buys what $67,248 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,035 a month, 20% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among industrial machinery mechanics in Louisville/Jefferson County.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for industrial machinery mechanics here is below average compared with other U.S. metros, and also below average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is about the same as in most metros (4.2%) and the population is growing at a typical pace (+2.9% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 127 one-person industrial machinery repair businesses averaging $81,528 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $77/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Louisville/Jefferson County scorecard for industrial machinery mechanics Our calculation
Grades compare Louisville/Jefferson County with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($63,865).
Pay over time
The median pay for industrial machinery mechanics in the Louisville/Jefferson County area went from $53,960 in 2020 to $62,590 in 2025, up 16.0%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -7.5% — a real pay cut.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Louisville/Jefferson County Our calculation
Prices in Louisville/Jefferson County run 7% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $67,248 would in a typical place, ranking #237 of 382 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
Want the full picture? Build a Louisville/Jefferson County budget on this pay from this pay, local rent and prices.
What industrial machinery mechanics do
Repair, install, adjust, or maintain industrial production and processing machinery or refinery and pipeline distribution systems. May also install, dismantle, or move machinery and heavy equipment according to plans.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Repair or maintain the operating condition of industrial production or processing machinery or equipment.
- Repair or replace broken or malfunctioning components of machinery or equipment.
- Clean, lubricate, or adjust parts, equipment, or machinery.
- Disassemble machinery or equipment to remove parts and make repairs.
- Reassemble equipment after completion of inspections, testing, or repairs.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, industrial machinery mechanic jobs are projected to grow 17.8% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 44,400 openings a year. About 1% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often industrial machinery mechanics deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes medium preparation (vocational training or an apprenticeship, often 1–2+ years).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in Kentucky Official source
The main state licensing office in Kentucky is the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction. The state licenses electrical, plumbing and HVAC; general contractors are licensed locally. It can point you to the right license for industrial machinery mechanics.
Official Kentucky licensing site ↗
Requirements for industrial machinery mechanics vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, industrial machinery mechanics have 54 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 38% below the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying KY metros for industrial machinery mechanics
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling GreenKENTUCKY · KY | $74,410 | $82,514 | 700 |
| OwensboroKENTUCKY · KY | $73,010 | $82,395 | 480 |
| Louisville/Jefferson CountyKENTUCKY · KY | $62,590 | $67,248 | 3,170 |
| ElizabethtownKENTUCKY · KY | $62,450 | $68,951 | 230 |
| LexingtonKENTUCKY · KY | $61,320 | $66,014 | 870 |
| PaducahKENTUCKY · KY | $61,100 | $70,977 | 270 |
See every metro in Kentucky.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Louisville/Jefferson County area's unemployment rate was 4.2% in 2025 (all workers, not just industrial machinery mechanics), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 4.2% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Louisville/Jefferson County area is 25 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 12% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 75% drive alone, 1% take transit and 12% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Louisville/Jefferson County area's population grew 2.9% from 2020 to 2025 (1,362,981 → 1,402,509), ranking #176 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +38,835) account for most of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
New construction
New-home permits in Louisville/Jefferson County are up 11% from 2021 to 2025 (5,508 → 6,103).
In 2025 the Louisville/Jefferson County area approved permits for 6,103 new homes (3,567 single-family), or 4.4 per 1,000 residents, ranking #154 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 127 one-person businesses (no employees) in industrial machinery repair, averaging $81,528 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Louisville/Jefferson County compares among the best cities to start an industrial machinery mechanic business.
They compete with 102 industrial machinery repair companies that have employees (about 1,053 workers in total). 57% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Where to train near Louisville/Jefferson County Government data
1 school in or near Louisville/Jefferson County offers heavy and industrial equipment maintenance programs below the bachelor's level. Many people in this trade learn through an apprenticeship instead; a program can shorten it or get you hired as a helper.
Where published, graduates earned a median of $73,148 in their first year out.
| School | Credential | Yearly cost | Recent grads | First-year pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Community and Technical College Louisville, KY · Public | Certificate | $10,222 | 167 | $81,025 |
| Jefferson Community and Technical College Louisville, KY · Public | Associate degree | $10,222 | 25 | $65,270 |
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (data updated October 2026). Cost is the school's average yearly cost of attendance before financial aid; earnings are the median for graduates one year after finishing, shown only where the school has enough graduates to publish. “—” means not published.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $62,590 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get industrial machinery mechanic pricing & estimate templates →Compare Louisville/Jefferson County with another city →
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ToolLouisville/Jefferson County budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Louisville/Jefferson County metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Louisville/Jefferson County against every other metro for industrial machinery mechanics. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.