What is the salary and career path for a hydraulics technician?
BLS has no separate hydraulics-technician series; the closest published code is Industrial Machinery Mechanics, SOC 49-9041, a broad code covering mechanics who maintain all factory machinery, so the wage figure is approximate for fluid power specialists. That code shows an OEWS May 2025 median of $64,520 a year ($31.02 an hour), from $46,120 at the 10th percentile to $95,170 at the 90th. No state licenses hydraulics work; the recognised credentials are the International Fluid Power Society's Hydraulic Specialist and Hydraulic Technician certifications, usually built on a two-year mechatronics or fluid power degree or a manufacturing apprenticeship. BLS projects 16.1% growth over 2024–2034 — well above the all-occupation average — with roughly 45,700 openings a year.
- Hydraulics Technicians earn a national median $64,520/yr ($31.02/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-9041); the top 10% clear $95,170.
- No licence exists; IFPS Hydraulic Technician and Hydraulic Specialist certifications are the recognised credentials.
- BLS projects 16.1% growth for industrial machinery mechanics 2024–34 — far above average — with about 45,700 openings a year.
- The ladder runs maintenance mechanic to hydraulics technician to fluid power specialist to reliability or supervisory roles.
Career Path
How do you become a hydraulics technician?
Maintenance mechanic / apprentice
Hose replacement, filter and fluid changes and assisting on cylinder rebuilds; pay starts near the $46,120 tenth percentile.
Hydraulics Technician
Troubleshooting circuits from schematics, setting pressures and rebuilding pumps, valves and cylinders, around the $64,520 median for SOC 49-9041.
Hydraulic specialist / senior technician
Diagnosing proportional and load-sensing systems, running contamination control and commissioning new equipment, toward the 75th percentile of $78,780.
Fluid power engineer support / maintenance supervisor
Circuit design support, reliability engineering or supervising a plant maintenance department reaches the 90th percentile at $95,170.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays hydraulics technicians the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-9041. National median: $64,520. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does hydraulics technician pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles hydraulics technicians most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: hydraulics technicians rank 2 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +16.1% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly hydraulics technicians clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-9041 (hydraulics technicians) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do hydraulics technicians need?
Issued by the International Fluid Power Society; the senior fluid power credential, requiring written and job-performance examination. See all state licences →
The technician-level IFPS certification covering component function, circuit troubleshooting and maintenance practice.
Two-year community college programmes that BLS identifies as the common preparation for industrial machinery mechanics.
Employer and union apprenticeships registered with the Department of Labor that combine paid work with fluid power classroom instruction.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do hydraulics technicians use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 49-9041
Salary Levers
How do hydraulics technicians earn above the $64,520 BLS median?
IFPS specialist certification over general maintenance
Certified fluid power specialists sit well above the $46,120 tenth percentile that general maintenance mechanics start at
Industry — mining, steel and offshore over light manufacturing
High-pressure, high-downtime-cost industries pay a clear premium for hydraulic diagnostic skill
Electro-hydraulic and controls capability
Proportional and servo work plus PLC literacy moves pay toward the $78,780 seventy-fifth percentile
Reliability engineering or maintenance supervision
Owning a plant's fluid power reliability programme or supervising the department reaches the $95,170 top decile
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a hydraulics technician worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-9041. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Hydraulics Technician Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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