Installation, maintenance and repair
Maintenance and repair workers, general
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.
Median pay
$49,590
Growth to 2035
+4%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
148,700
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Maintenance and repair workers, general
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to maintenance and repair workers, general
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Exposure to disease
Maintenance and repair workers, general: 62% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- 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.
Also called: Building Mechanic · Equipment Engineering Technician · Facilities Technician · Maintenance Engineer · Maintenance Journeyman · Maintenance Man · Maintenance Mechanic · Maintenance Specialist
Outlook and AI
Maintenance and repair workers, general held 1,621,800 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 1,690,500 by 2035 (+4%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
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