Best degree programs for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics, ranked by enrollment
1 college programs and 24 schools train Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $47,880 median wage, 36,060 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
1 college programs at 24 schools train outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics, graduating 182 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Small Engine Mechanics and Repair Technology/Technician. The job pays a median of $47,880 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul small engines used to power lawn mowers, chain saws, recreational sporting equipment, and related equipment.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
1 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 47.0606 | 182 | 100.0% | 24 | $37,089 | $11,790 |
Top 24 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsinmoderate | $48,140 | 1,020 | 1.50× | 4 | 29 |
| Idaholimited | $55,320 | 190 | 0.94× | 1 | 28 |
| Arkansaslimited | $37,610 | 390 | 1.29× | 2 | 22 |
| Nebraskalimited | $49,710 | 300 | 1.26× | 2 | 17 |
| Michiganlimited | $46,730 | 1,860 | 1.82× | 1 | 16 |
| Californiamoderate | $50,790 | 2,470 | 0.59× | 3 | 14 |
| Washingtonlimited | $53,990 | 590 | 0.71× | 1 | 13 |
| Minnesotalimited | $55,990 | 630 | 0.92× | 2 | 8 |
| Mainelimited | $47,960 | 300 | 2.02× | 1 | 7 |
| North Dakotalimited | $50,540 | 190 | 1.86× | 1 | 7 |
| Texaslimited | $45,720 | 2,270 | 0.69× | 2 | 7 |
| Floridalimited | $47,840 | 3,450 | 1.50× | 1 | 6 |
| Iowalimited | $45,830 | 430 | 1.18× | 1 | 3 |
| South Dakotalimited | $41,580 | 160 | 1.51× | 1 | 1 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- 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.
Skills
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Active Listening3.1
- Monitoring2.9
- Speaking2.9
- Reading Comprehension2.9
- Active Learning2.8
- Writing2.6
- Learning Strategies2.5
Knowledge areas
- Mechanical4.3
- Customer and Personal Service3.5
- English Language3.4
- Engineering and Technology3.2
- Education and Training3.2
- Transportation3.1
Abilities
- Finger Dexterity3.9
- Arm-Hand Steadiness3.8
- Near Vision3.6
- Manual Dexterity3.6
- Control Precision3.5
- Visualization3.4
Core activities
- Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment4.7
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.4
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.1
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials4.0
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.0
- Handling and Moving Objects3.9
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Outdoor Power Equipment
Job zone 2 of 5 · SVP Below 6.0- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 1 majors mapped to Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 47.0606Small Engine Mechanics and Repair Technology/Technician
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become an Outdoor Power Equipment?+
High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Small Engine Mechanics and Repair Technology/Technician, which awarded 182 degrees in 2024-25, 100.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Outdoor Power Equipment?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 programs to this occupation. The largest are Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians. Together they graduate about 182 people a year.
How much do outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics earn?+
The median is $47,880 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $34,670 at the 10th percentile to $67,260 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics growing?+
BLS projects a +2.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 3,500 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
24 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Mechanic, Small Engine Mechanic, Service Technician (Service Tech), Outdoor Power Equipment Service Technician among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 49-3053.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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