Industrial Machinery Mechanics in the Watertown area earn a median of $59,160 a year, 7% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #335 of 388 metros for industrial machinery mechanics nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Utica and Syracuse.
It's one of 13 New York metros with published pay for this trade; see industrial machinery mechanic pay in New York.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for industrial machinery mechanics here is in the bottom 20% of U.S. metros, and below average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (4.5%) and the population is shrinking (-3.9% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 12 one-person industrial machinery repair businesses averaging $59,000 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $74/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Watertown scorecard for industrial machinery mechanics Our calculation
Grades compare Watertown 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 Watertown area went from $46,130 in 2020 to $59,160 in 2025, up 28.2%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +2.3% — a real raise.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
Check your pay here
Enter a rate to see where it falls among industrial machinery mechanics in Watertown.
Comparing two real offers with overtime and commutes? Use the job offer checker.
What the pay is really worth in Watertown Our calculation
Prices in the Watertown area run 12% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $67,465 would in a typical place, ranking #232 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 cost-of-living budget for Watertown 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 New York Official source
New York licenses most trades at the city or county level (e.g. New York City). Check with the building or licensing office where you plan to work.
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 NY metros for industrial machinery mechanics
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| AlbanyNEW YORK · NY | $76,220 | $76,552 | 850 |
| New YorkNEW YORK · NY | $75,260 | $66,860 | 10,780 |
| SyracuseNEW YORK · NY | $73,030 | $76,278 | 820 |
| KingstonNEW YORK · NY | $70,450 | $69,954 | 70 |
| BuffaloNEW YORK · NY | $70,130 | $73,171 | 1,560 |
| Kiryas JoelNEW YORK · NY | $67,140 | $61,359 | 450 |
| UticaNEW YORK · NY | $64,790 | $69,909 | 420 |
| ElmiraNEW YORK · NY | $64,750 | $68,593 | 120 |
| Glens FallsNEW YORK · NY | $64,110 | $67,580 | 80 |
| IthacaNEW YORK · NY | $63,650 | $61,607 | 40 |
See every metro in New York.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Watertown area's unemployment rate was 4.5% in 2025 (all workers, not just industrial machinery mechanics), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 5.1% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Watertown area is 20 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 8% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 79% drive alone, 1% take transit and 7% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Watertown area's population shrank 3.9% from 2020 to 2025 (116,075 → 111,540), ranking #383 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -7,875).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
New construction
New-home permits in Watertown are up 79% from 2021 to 2025 (161 → 288).
In 2025 the Watertown area approved permits for 288 new homes (226 single-family), or 2.5 per 1,000 residents, ranking #260 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 12 one-person businesses (no employees) in industrial machinery repair, averaging $59,000 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Watertown compares among the best cities to start an industrial machinery mechanic business.
They compete with 4 industrial machinery repair companies that have employees (about 8 workers in total). 100% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $59,160 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 Watertown with another city →
Keep exploring
Could this trade pay more somewhere else?
ToolBest cities for industrial machinery mechanicsRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in WatertownSee where it falls among local industrial machinery mechanics, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolWatertown budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Watertown 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 Watertown against every other metro for industrial machinery mechanics. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.