Industrial Machinery Mechanics in the Guayama area earn a median of $36,860 a year, 42% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #386 of 388 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in San Juan and Arecibo, but less in Ponce.
It's one of 6 Puerto Rico metros with published pay for this trade; see statewide industrial machinery mechanic pay.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for industrial machinery mechanics here is in the bottom 20% of U.S. metros.
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Guayama scorecard for industrial machinery mechanics Our calculation
Grades compare Guayama with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers.
Pay over time
The median pay for industrial machinery mechanics in the Guayama area went from $39,260 in 2020 to $36,860 in 2025, down 6.1%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -25.1% — 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
Rent in Guayama
Typical rent is $475 a month for a 1-bedroom and $517 for a 2-bedroom.
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 Puerto Rico Official source
Check with local authorities in Puerto Rico. 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 PR metros for industrial machinery mechanics
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San JuanPUERTO RICO · PR | $44,420 | — | 1,660 |
| AreciboPUERTO RICO · PR | $39,610 | — | 130 |
| AguadillaPUERTO RICO · PR | $37,690 | — | 120 |
| GuayamaPUERTO RICO · PR | $36,860 | — | 50 |
| PoncePUERTO RICO · PR | $36,440 | — | 700 |
| MayaguezPUERTO RICO · PR | $31,260 | — | 160 |
See every metro in Puerto Rico.
How much work is there? Government data
Getting to work
The average commute in the Guayama area is 30 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 23% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. nan% drive alone, nan% take transit and nan% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
New construction
In 2025 the Guayama area approved permits for 142 new homes (139 single-family), or 2.1 per 1,000 residents, ranking #290 of 393 metros.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $36,860 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. 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 Guayama with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.
BEA doesn't publish price levels for Guayama, so real pay isn't shown. The Census doesn't publish one-person business or competition figures for industrial machinery mechanics as a separate industry, so that section is left out.