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.

Also Known As

• Facilities Technician
• Maintenance Engineer
• Maintenance Mechanic
• Maintenance Technician

Alternate Job Titles

• 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
• Building Repairer
• Building Services Mechanic
• Electrical Installer
• Environmental Maintenance Worker
• Equipment Engineering Technician
• Ethanol Maintenance Mechanic
• Facilities Maintenance Tech (Facilities Maintenance Technician)

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities 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.

Emerging Responsibilities

As this field evolves, you may also:

• Use drones for inspecting roofs, gutters, and other hard-to-reach areas of buildings.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• Mechanical
• English Language
• Building and Construction

Essential Skills

Success in this career requires strong skills in:

1. Equipment Maintenance
2. Repairing
3. Troubleshooting

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Near Vision
• Information Ordering
• Manual Dexterity
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
• Problem Sensitivity
• Visualization
• Oral Expression
• Control Precision
• Oral Comprehension
• Deductive Reasoning

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Dependability
• Attention to Detail
• Cautiousness
• Perseverance
• Integrity

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Support
• Relationships
• Independence
• Working Conditions
• Achievement

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)

Related Work Experience Needed: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months

Education Details: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Experience Required: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Apple macOS
• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Facebook
• Google Docs
• Linux
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Project

Tools & Equipment

• Adjustable crescent wrenches
• Adjustable hand wrenches
• Adjustable slip lock nut wrenches
• Adjustable widemouth pliers
• Air compressors
• Allen wrenches
• Augers
• Ball peen hammers
• Basin wrenches
• Bearing pullers
• Biscuit joiners
• Block and tackle equipment
• Brazing equipment
• Bubble levels
• Caulking guns

Work Environment

• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Contact With Others
• Telephone Conversations
• Health and Safety of Other Workers
• E-Mail

Salary & Job Market

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$33,860
Median	$48,620
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$76,110

Workers Employed Nationally: 1,531,700

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.