Employment

Industrial electricians held 160,900 jobs nationally and industrial machinery mechanics held about 287,700 jobs nationally in 2008. Many worked in the manufacturing sector in industries such as food processing and chemical processing, fabricated metal products, electrical power companies and power generating plants, machinery, and motor vehicle and parts manufacturing. Manufacturers often rely on these employees to make complex repairs to specific machines. Employment in this field is expected to grow from 5 to 7 percent nationally from 2008 to 2018.