Career profile for Power Equipment Mechanic

What does a Power Equipment Mechanic do?

Power Equipment Mechanics diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul small engines used to power lawn mowers, chain saws, recreational sporting equipment, and related equipment.

What kind of tasks does a Power Equipment Mechanic perform regularly?

Power Equipment Mechanics are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Record repairs made, time spent, and parts used.
Test and inspect engines to determine malfunctions, to locate missing and broken parts, and to verify repairs, using diagnostic instruments.
Dismantle engines, using hand tools, and examine parts for defects.
Repair and maintain gasoline engines used to power equipment such as portable saws, lawn mowers, generators, and compressors.
Adjust points, valves, carburetors, distributors, and spark plug gaps, using feeler gauges.
Repair or replace defective parts such as magnetos, water pumps, gears, pistons, and carburetors, using hand tools.
Perform routine maintenance such as cleaning and oiling parts, honing cylinders, and tuning ignition systems.
Reassemble engines after repair or maintenance work is complete.
Replace motors.
Obtain problem descriptions from customers, and prepare cost estimates for repairs.
Show customers how to maintain equipment.
Remove engines from equipment, and position and bolt engines to repair stands.
Sell parts and equipment.
Grind, ream, rebore, and re-tap parts to obtain specified clearances, using grinders, lathes, taps, reamers, boring machines, and micrometers.

The above responsibilities are specific to Power Equipment Mechanics. More generally, Power Equipment Mechanics are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment		Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge		Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems		Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events		Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials		Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment

Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials

Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

What is a Power Equipment Mechanic salary?

The median salary for a Power Equipment Mechanic is $37,530, and the average salary is $39,090. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Power Equipment Mechanic salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Power Equipment Mechanics earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Power Equipment Mechanics earn less than $24,350 per year, 25% earn less than $30,070, 75% earn less than $47,180, and 90% earn less than $57,420.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Power Equipment Mechanics is expected to change by 6.6%, and there should be roughly 4,000 open positions for Power Equipment Mechanics every year.

Median annual salary: $37,530
Typical salary range: $24,350 - $57,420
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): 6.6%

What personality traits are common among Power Equipment Mechanics?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Power Equipment Mechanic are usually higher in their Realistic interests.

Power Equipment Mechanics typically have very strong Realistic interests. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a Power Equipment Mechanic tend to value Support, Independence, and Working Conditions.

Most importantly, Power Equipment Mechanics moderately value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Second, Power Equipment Mechanics moderately value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Lastly, Power Equipment Mechanics moderately value Working Conditions. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Power Equipment Mechanics must consistently demonstrate qualities such as dependability, attention to detail, and integrity.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Power Equipment Mechanics, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Integrity		Job requires being honest and ethical.
Independence		Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Achievement/Effort		Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Integrity

Job requires being honest and ethical.

Independence

Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Achievement/Effort

Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

What education and training do Power Equipment Mechanics need?

Working as a Power Equipment Mechanic usually requires a high school diploma.

Power Equipment Mechanics need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Power Equipment Mechanics

13.6% did not complete high school or secondary school
44.2% completed high school or secondary school
27.0% completed some college coursework
9.7% earned a Associate's degree
3.9% earned a Bachelor's degree
0.6% earned a Master's degree
1.0% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Power Equipment Mechanics

Power Equipment Mechanics may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as mechanical, customer and personal service, or engineering and technology knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Power Equipment Mechanics might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Mechanical		Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Engineering and Technology		Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Transportation		Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Education and Training		Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Mechanical

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Engineering and Technology

Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

Transportation

Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

Education and Training

Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Important Abilities needed by Power Equipment Mechanics

Power Equipment Mechanics must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Power Equipment Mechanics need abilities such as finger dexterity, arm-hand steadiness, and manual dexterity in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Power Equipment Mechanics, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Finger Dexterity		The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Arm-Hand Steadiness		The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Manual Dexterity		The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Near Vision		The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Control Precision		The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

Finger Dexterity

The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.

Arm-Hand Steadiness

The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

Manual Dexterity

The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Control Precision

The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

Critical Skills needed by Power Equipment Mechanics

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Power Equipment Mechanics frequently use skills like equipment maintenance, repairing, and troubleshooting to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Power Equipment Mechanics, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Equipment Maintenance		Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Repairing		Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Troubleshooting		Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Operations Monitoring		Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Critical Thinking		Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Equipment Maintenance

Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

Repairing

Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

Troubleshooting

Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

Operations Monitoring

Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Power Equipment Mechanic

Power Equipment Mechanic

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