About This Career

Constructs, assembles, or rebuilds machines, such as engines, turbines, and similar equipment used in such industries as construction, extraction, textiles, and paper manufacturing.

This career is part of the Manufacturing cluster Production pathway.

A person in this career:

• Reads and interprets assembly blueprints or specifications manuals, and plans assembly or building operations.
• Inspects, operates, and tests completed products to verify functioning, machine capabilities, or conformance to customer specifications.
• Positions or aligns components for assembly, manually or using hoists.
• Sets and verifies parts clearances.
• Verifies conformance of parts to stock lists or blueprints, using measuring instruments such as calipers, gauges, or micrometers.
• Fastens or installs piping, fixtures, or wiring and electrical components to form assemblies or subassemblies, using hand tools, rivet guns, or welding equipment.
• Removes rough spots and smooths surfaces to fit, trim, or clean parts, using hand tools or power tools.
• Lays out and drills, reams, taps, or cuts parts for assembly.
• Reworks, repairs, or replaces damaged parts or assemblies.
• Sets up and operates metalworking machines, such as milling or grinding machines, to shape or fabricate parts.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
• 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.
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• 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 involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching
• 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
• Rotating shift work