How much do industrial machinery mechanics make in Indiana in 2026?

The median pay for an industrial machinery mechanic in Indiana is $63,950 a year, which works out to about $30.75 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That number sits in the middle of the range — half of mechanics in the state earn more, half earn less. If you're just starting out or working in a lower-paying shop, you're more likely landing near the 25th percentile at $57,950 a year, or roughly $27.86 an hour. If you've built up years of experience and can handle complex systems, the 75th percentile pays $76,740 annually — about $36.89 an hour. That $18,790 gap between the bottom quarter and the top quarter tells you there's real room to grow your wages in this trade.

Indiana runs a heavy manufacturing economy. Auto parts, steel, pharmaceuticals, food processing, and agricultural equipment plants all operate large facilities that depend on machinery mechanics to keep production lines moving. That steady industrial base means consistent demand for mechanics who can troubleshoot, repair, and do planned maintenance on CNC machines, conveyor systems, hydraulic equipment, and automated assembly machinery. The more systems you can competently work on, the more leverage you carry when negotiating pay.

Entry-level mechanics typically start near or below the 25th-percentile figure. Employers in this range are often smaller shops, contract maintenance outfits, or facilities where machinery complexity is lower. Moving into the $65,000–$76,000 range generally requires a few years of hands-on experience, the ability to read technical schematics and electrical diagrams, and — increasingly — some comfort with programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and automated systems. Mechanics who can handle both mechanical and basic electrical troubleshooting without calling in a separate electrician are worth more to plant managers trying to cut downtime.

Shift differentials can add meaningful money on top of base pay. Many Indiana manufacturing plants run second and third shifts, and mechanics who take those less-desirable hours often see a bump of $1.00 to $2.50 an hour over what day-shift workers make, though the specific amount varies by employer.

Overtime is common in this trade. When a line goes down, the plant pays to get it back up fast, and that often means mechanics logging hours beyond 40 per week. Regular overtime at time-and-a-half can push annual take-home well above the base figures shown here, especially in high-production facilities with tight uptime targets.

Certifications from organizations like NIMS (National Institute for Metalworking Skills) or manufacturer-specific training on equipment brands like Fanuc, Allen-Bradley, or Siemens can make a mechanic more competitive for the higher-paying positions. Some larger employers pay for this training directly or reimburse tuition, so it's worth asking about during hiring.

No union scale data is available for this specific trade and state from the BLS OEWS May 2025 dataset. That doesn't mean union shops don't exist in Indiana — some do, particularly in auto manufacturing and steel — but wage tables for this trade weren't separately reported. If a union scale applies to your employer, get that information directly from your local or your hiring hall.

Geography within Indiana can influence pay somewhat. Larger metro areas like Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and the northwest Indiana industrial corridor near Gary tend to have more large-scale manufacturing operations with competitive pay structures. Rural areas may offer fewer positions and slightly lower base wages, though cost of living also tends to be lower in those areas.

All figures on this page come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. These are employer-reported wages and represent base pay; they do not include overtime, bonuses, or benefits.