Industrial Machinery Mechanics in the Richmond area earn a median of $66,080 a year, 3% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #152 of 388 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Lexington Park and Washington, but less in Virginia Beach.
Richmond scorecard for industrial machinery mechanics Our calculation
Grades compare Richmond 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).
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Richmond Our calculation
Prices in Richmond run 2% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $67,526 would in a typical place, ranking #229 of 382 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. 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.
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.
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 VA metros for industrial machinery mechanics
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| StauntonVIRGINIA · VA | $76,210 | $83,630 | 270 |
| RichmondVIRGINIA · VA | $66,080 | $67,526 | 1,900 |
| BlacksburgVIRGINIA · VA | $65,150 | $70,273 | 330 |
| HarrisonburgVIRGINIA · VA | $64,990 | $68,488 | 400 |
| Virginia BeachVIRGINIA · VA | $64,620 | $65,978 | 1,680 |
| WinchesterVIRGINIA · VA | $61,490 | $63,753 | 290 |
| CharlottesvilleVIRGINIA · VA | $60,360 | $60,880 | 100 |
| LynchburgVIRGINIA · VA | $59,860 | $66,985 | 490 |
| RoanokeVIRGINIA · VA | $59,250 | $63,289 | 600 |
See every metro in Virginia.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Richmond area's unemployment rate was 3.4% in 2025 (all workers, not just industrial machinery mechanics), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 4.0% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Richmond area is 27 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 13% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 70% drive alone, 1% take transit and 16% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
New construction
New-home permits in Richmond are roughly flat from 2021 to 2025 (9,547 → 9,091).
In 2025 the Richmond area approved permits for 9,091 new homes (4,399 single-family), or 6.8 per 1,000 residents, ranking #86 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 98 one-person businesses (no employees) in industrial machinery repair, averaging $102,255 a year in revenue before expenses.
They compete with 87 industrial machinery repair companies that have employees (about 585 workers in total). 52% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
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 $66,080 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
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 Richmond with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- 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.
- 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.