Maintenance and Repair Workers, General: Career Overview
Perform work involving the skills of two or more maintenance or craft occupations to keep machines, mechanical equipment, or the structure of a building in repair. Duties may involve pipe fitting; HVAC maintenance; insulating; welding; machining; carpentry; repairing electrical or mechanical equipment; installing, aligning, and balancing new equipment; and repairing buildings, floors, or stairs.
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What Tasks Do Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of maintenance and repair workers, general include:
- Perform routine maintenance, such as inspecting drives, motors, or belts, checking fluid levels, replacing filters, or doing other preventive maintenance actions.
- Inspect, operate, or test machinery or equipment to diagnose machine malfunctions.
- Adjust functional parts of devices or control instruments, using hand tools, levels, plumb bobs, or straightedges.
- Repair machines, equipment, or structures, using tools such as hammers, hoists, saws, drills, wrenches, or equipment such as precision measuring instruments or electrical or electronic testing devices.
- Order parts, supplies, or equipment from catalogs or suppliers.
- Diagnose mechanical problems and determine how to correct them, checking blueprints, repair manuals, or parts catalogs, as necessary.
- Design new equipment to aid in the repair or maintenance of machines, mechanical equipment, or building structures.
- Assemble, install, or repair wiring, electrical or electronic components, pipe systems, plumbing, machinery, or equipment.
What Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Need to Know
Successful maintenance and repair workers, general combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Other Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Apartment Maintenance Tech (Apartment Maintenance Technician)
- Apartment Maintenance Worker
- Bench Repair Technician
- Building Engineer
- Building Maintenance Engineer
- Building Maintenance Mechanic
- Building Maintenance Repairer
- Building Mechanic
How Many Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Are There?
There are about 546,392 maintenance and repair workers, general working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +2.5% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $48,754 |
| Hourly median | $23.44 |
| 10th percentile | $29,286 |
| 25th percentile | $39,020 |
| 75th percentile | $58,489 |
| 90th percentile | $68,223 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $60,600 |
| Washington | $57,910 |
| Minnesota | $57,750 |
| Hawaii | $57,480 |
| New York | $56,180 |
| Massachusetts | $56,040 |
| California | $56,030 |
| Alaska | $55,650 |
| Illinois | $54,220 |
| Connecticut | $53,570 |
| Vermont | $53,290 |
| New Hampshire | $51,720 |
| Wisconsin | $51,470 |
| Iowa | $51,270 |
| New Jersey | $51,240 |
| Colorado | $51,130 |
| Oregon | $51,120 |
| Ohio | $50,520 |
| Nevada | $50,170 |
| Rhode Island | $49,920 |
| Maryland | $49,790 |
| North Dakota | $49,510 |
| Indiana | $49,290 |
| Nebraska | $49,150 |
| Delaware | $49,130 |
| Utah | $49,070 |
| Virginia | $49,070 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,950 |
| Maine | $48,590 |
| Missouri | $48,270 |
| Wyoming | $47,960 |
| Arizona | $47,260 |
| North Carolina | $47,200 |
| Michigan | $47,170 |
| Idaho | $47,030 |
| Tennessee | $46,880 |
| South Carolina | $46,800 |
| Georgia | $46,770 |
| Kansas | $46,590 |
| South Dakota | $46,420 |
| Kentucky | $46,110 |
| Montana | $45,710 |
| Florida | $45,000 |
| Texas | $44,940 |
| New Mexico | $41,860 |
| Louisiana | $41,660 |
| Alabama | $41,600 |
| Arkansas | $40,870 |
| Oklahoma | $40,710 |
| Mississippi | $40,580 |
| West Virginia | $39,900 |
| Virgin Islands | $39,390 |
| Guam | $29,190 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,000 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for maintenance and repair workers, general vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $55,515 | 13.6% | 0.84 |
| New England | $53,788 | 3.8% | 0.81 |
| Middle Atlantic | $53,168 | 16.2% | 1.11 |
| Plains States | $51,189 | 7.0% | 1.02 |
| Great Lakes | $50,989 | 15.5% | 1.10 |
| Rocky Mountains | $49,196 | 3.7% | 0.95 |
| Southeast | $45,444 | 25.9% | 1.06 |
| Southwest | $44,833 | 13.4% | 1.07 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $63,470 | 15,870 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $63,300 | 7,010 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | HI | $61,570 | 1,310 |
| Sheboygan, WI | WI | $60,610 | 760 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $60,510 | 860 |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $60,500 | 1,250 |
| Modesto, CA | CA | $60,040 | 1,820 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | MN | $59,970 | 17,750 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of maintenance and repair workers, general work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 314,320 | $47,610 |
| Manufacturing | 206,550 | $60,440 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 131,030 | $38,380 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 127,220 | $47,420 |
| Educational Services | 112,460 | $49,290 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 95,710 | $47,210 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 58,610 | $62,690 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 53,520 | $45,030 |
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Operating system software: Apple macOS (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of maintenance and repair workers, general reflects the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
- Telephone Conversations
- Health and Safety of Other Workers
Getting Started in This Career
Most maintenance and repair workers, general positions require some college, no degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Boilermakers (Primary-Long)
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (Primary-Short)
- Helpers–Electricians (Supplemental)
- Helpers–Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (Supplemental)
- Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers (Supplemental)
- Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment (Supplemental)
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (Supplemental)
- Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians (Primary-Long)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Future maintenance and repair workers, general commonly pursue programs in:
Construction Trades
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 49-9071.00 (Maintenance and Repair Workers, General).
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