# Will maintenance mechanics be replaced by AI? Updated October 2026 Maintenance mechanics score 20 of 100 for AI exposure. 82% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 12% today and speed up another 6%. - **12%** AI can do it - **6%** AI helps - **82%** Needs a person Low exposure Lower than 79% of the 923 occupations we scored. ## Task by task We graded 18 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 2 of them today, speeds up 1 and leaves 15 to people. | Task | AI exposure | | --- | --- | | Record production, repair, and machine maintenance information. AI can draft and structure maintenance logs from notes. | 70% AI can do it | | Inventory and requisition machine parts, equipment, and other supplies so that stock can be maintained and replenished. Inventory counts and requisitions are digital and largely automatable. | 62% AI can do it | | Read work orders and specifications to determine machines and equipment requiring repair or maintenance. AI can parse work orders and flag machines needing repair. | 55% AI helps | | Inspect or test damaged machine parts, and mark defective areas or advise supervisors of repair needs. Physical inspection and touch testing of parts needs a person. | 18% Needs a person | | Start machines and observe mechanical operation to determine efficiency and to detect problems. Watching machines run and sensing faults needs physical presence. | 15% Needs a person | ## How maintenance mechanics compare All occupations (923) Installation, maintenance and repair (50) **Maintenance mechanics score 20**, marked by the dark line. Each dot is a score, darker where more occupations share it. The short marks show the averages, 37 for all occupations and 21 for installation, maintenance and repair. ## Pay and outlook in the US Median pay $60,850 a year, May 2025 People employed 60,020 in the US, May 2025 Projected change in jobs \-1.9% from 2024 to 2034 ## Skills to build - Log machine repairs and downtime in CMMS software - Dismantle machines with hoists, chain falls, and hand tools - Inspect worn parts by touch and mark defects for supervisors - Schedule preventive maintenance in scheduling software - Mix and test cleaning chemicals to manufacturer ratios - Start machines and listen for faults during test runs ## Safer roles nearby 5 related occupations with lower scores. - [Electric motor repairers19 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/electric-motor-repairers/) - [Tool grinders17 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/tool-grinders/) - [Woodworking machine operators16 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/woodworking-machine-operators/) - [Rail car repairers15 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/rail-car-repairers/) - [Control valve technicians19 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/control-valve-technicians/) ## Questions about maintenance mechanics and AI Will AI replace maintenance mechanics? Partly. About 2 in 10 working hours for a maintenance mechanic go to tasks AI can already do, mostly recording maintenance information and tracking machine parts. Hands-on repair, dismantling, inspection, and machine testing stay with people because they need physical presence at the machine. Which maintenance mechanic tasks is AI taking over? Recording production, repair, and machine maintenance information scores 70 on exposure, the highest in this job, because AI can draft and structure logs from notes. Inventorying and requisitioning parts scores 62, since counts and requisitions are already digital. Reading work orders to find machines needing repair scores 55, and AI can flag those machines. Which maintenance mechanic tasks stay human? Transporting parts, removing hardened material, and replacing machine containers all score 3 on exposure, the lowest in this job. Moving heavy parts with cranes and dollies, chipping hardened material with jackhammers, and dismantling machines with hoists need physical work a person does on site. How can maintenance mechanics stay valuable? Check AI-drafted entries in your CMMS software before they close a work order. Build skill in dismantling machines with hoists, chain falls, and jacks, since that work needs a person on site. Use Excel and SAP to track parts stock so you catch shortages before a requisition is missed. ## Related jobs - [Industrial machinery mechanics31 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/industrial-machinery-mechanics/) - [Grinding machine operators21 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/grinding-machine-operators/) - [Machine tool operators24 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/machine-tool-operators/) - [Mobile heavy equipment mechanics20 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/mobile-heavy-equipment-mechanics/) ## Next steps for maintenance mechanics - ### Check your job Your job title is a rough guide. Your actual tasks decide your score. Paste your job description or CV and see which of your tasks AI can do. [Check your job](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/ai-exposure-checker/) [Check your CV](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/cv-checker/) ### Check which roles in your team AI can take on We map your team's tasks, show what AI can do today and build the automations that pay back first. [Book an AI audit](https://www.aigentcy.com/audit/) ## Related topics - [**Jobs AI can't replace**Cement masons score lowest, at 8.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-cant-replace/) - [**Jobs most at risk from AI**Proofreaders score highest, at 76.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-most-exposed-to-ai/) - [**High-paying jobs with low AI exposure**Radiologists earn a median $420,860 and score 46.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/high-paying-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Entry-level jobs with low AI exposure**Cement masons need little prior training and score 8.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/entry-level-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Jobs AI speeds up the most**For natural sciences managers, AI speeds up 96% of task time.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-speeds-up/) - [**AI and jobs in Malta**15 iGaming roles graded task by task.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/malta/) - [**Skills that keep work human**The skills to build in the jobs AI changes least.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/skills/) - [**Jobs A to Z**Every job we publish, by first letter.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs/) - [**AI exposure by industry**Average scores for 22 occupation groups.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/industries/) - [**Write a CV screening software can read**How applicant tracking systems read a CV, and what to change.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/cv-screening-guide/) - [**AI for businesses**The tasks to automate first in each team and industry.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-for/) - [**How we score AI exposure**The grading, the weights and every source.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/) Occupation data from the O\*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and modified by Aigentcy. O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Wage, employment and projection data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. EU occupation names from ESCO, European Commission. AI usage signals from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY) and Microsoft Research (CC BY 4.0). [Methodology and sources](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/). Scores © Aigentcy. Quote them with a link to the page.