Workers are responsible for the upkeep of many homes and apartment buildings.
General maintenance and repair workers fix and maintain machines, mechanical equipment, and buildings. They paint, repair flooring, and work on plumbing, electrical, and air-conditioning and heating systems.
Duties
General maintenance and repair workers typically do the following:
Maintain and repair machines, mechanical equipment, and buildings
Fix or replace faulty electrical switches, outlets, and circuit breakers
Inspect and diagnose problems and figure out the best way to correct them
Perform routine preventive maintenance to ensure that machines continue to run smoothly
Assemble and set up machinery or equipment
Plan repair work using blueprints or diagrams
Do general cleaning and upkeep of buildings and properties
Order supplies from catalogs and storerooms
Meet with clients to estimate repairs and costs
Keep detailed records of their work
General maintenance and repair workers are hired for maintenance and repair tasks that are not complex enough to need the specialized training of a licensed tradesperson, such as a plumber or electrician.
General maintenance and repair workers may fix or paint roofs, windows, doors, floors, woodwork, walls, and other parts of buildings.
They also maintain and repair specialized equipment and machinery in cafeterias, laundries, hospitals, stores, offices, and factories.
General maintenance and repair workers get supplies and parts from distributors or storerooms to fix problems. They use common hand and power tools, such as screwdrivers, saws, drills, wrenches, and hammers to fix, replace, or repair equipment and parts of buildings.
Many workers need safety gear when working with certain tools and equipment.
General maintenance and repair workers held about 1.5 million jobs in 2019. The largest employers of general maintenance and repair workers were as follows:
Real estate and rental and leasing
22%
Manufacturing
13
Government
12
Educational services; state, local, and private
8
Healthcare and social assistance
8
General maintenance and repair workers often carry out many different tasks in a single day at any number of locations. They may work inside a single building, such as a hotel or hospital, or be responsible for the maintenance of many buildings, such as those in an apartment complex or on a college campus.
General maintenance and repair workers may have to stand for long periods or lift heavy objects. These workers may work in uncomfortably hot or cold environments, in uncomfortable or cramped positions, or on ladders. The work involves a lot of walking, climbing, and reaching.
Injuries and Illnesses
General maintenance and repair work can be dangerous. Common injuries include electrical shocks, falls, cuts, and bruises.
Work Schedules
Most general maintenance and repair workers work full time, including evenings or weekends. Some are on call for emergency repairs.
Beginners often work under the supervision of more experienced workers.
Jobs in this field typically do not require any formal education beyond high school. General maintenance and repair workers often learn their skills on the job. They start by doing simple tasks and watching and learning from skilled maintenance workers.
Education
Many maintenance and repair workers learn some basic skills in high school shop or technical education classes, postsecondary trade or vocational schools, or community colleges.
Courses in mechanical drawing, electricity, woodworking, blueprint reading, mathematics, and computers are useful. Maintenance and repair workers often do work that involves electrical, plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning systems or painting and roofing tasks. Workers need a good working knowledge of many repair and maintenance tasks.
Practical training, available at many adult education centers and community colleges, is another option for workers to learn tasks such as drywall repair and basic plumbing.
Training
General maintenance and repair workers usually start by watching and learning from skilled maintenance workers. They begin by doing simple tasks, such as fixing leaky faucets and replacing lightbulbs. After gaining experience, general maintenance and repair workers move on to more difficult tasks, such as overhauling machinery or building walls.
Some general maintenance and repair workers learn their skills by assisting other types of repair or construction workers, including machinery repairers, carpenters, or electricians.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Licensing requirements vary by state and locality. For more complex tasks, workers may need to be licensed in a particular specialty, such as electrical or plumbing work.
Other maintenance workers eventually open their own repair or contracting business. However, those who want to become a project manager or own their own business may need some postsecondary education or a degree in construction management. For more information, see the profile on construction managers.
Within small organizations, promotion opportunities may be limited.
Important Qualities
Customer-service skills. These workers interact with customers on a regular basis. They need to be friendly and able to address customers’ questions.
Dexterity. Many repair and maintenance tasks, such as repairing small devices, connecting or attaching components, and using hand tools, require a steady hand and good hand–eye coordination.
Troubleshooting skills. Workers find, diagnose, and repair problems. They perform tests to figure out the cause of problems before fixing equipment.
Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
$44,100
Total, all occupations
$39,810
General maintenance and repair workers
$39,080
Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics
The median annual wage for general maintenance and repair workers was $39,080 in May 2019.
The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $24,600, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $63,140.
In May 2019, the median annual wages for general maintenance and repair workers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Manufacturing
$46,070
Government
42,330
Educational services; state, local, and private
41,880
Healthcare and social assistance
37,880
Real estate and rental and leasing
37,200
Most general maintenance and repair workers work full time, including evenings or weekends. Some are on call for emergency repairs.
Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
5%
General maintenance and repair workers
4%
Total, all occupations
4%
Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
Employment of general maintenance and repair workers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2019 to 2029, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Employment may rise as increasing home prices and sales drive demand for remodeling and maintenance work. In addition, maintenance and repair workers will continue to be needed to upgrade and renovate older homes.
Demographic changes also may affect the demand for general maintenance and repair workers. Because homeowners typically prefer to remain in their homes as they age, demand may increase for workers as the large baby-boom generation nears retirement. These older homeowners will invest in projects and renovations to accommodate their future living needs and allow them to remain in their homes after retirement.
The large millennial generation will also be entering the prime working-age and household-forming age cohort over the next decade. Although this generation has delayed home ownership because of financial and debt obligations, it is projected that many will enter the housing market over the next 10 years. These first-time homebuyers may favor existing older homes, which are often smaller and cheaper than new houses. This should help boost demand for maintenance and repair work to help keep these older homes in good condition.
In addition to single-family homes, maintenance and repair work is also needed for other types of properties. Due to the aging of many types of buildings, maintenance and repair workers will be needed to work on rental units and commercial and public buildings.
Many general maintenance and repair workers are employed in industries related to real estate, so employment opportunities may be sensitive to fluctuations in the economy. Some workers may experience periods of unemployment when the overall level of construction and real estate development falls. However, maintenance and repairs continue during economic downturns as people opt to repair, rather than replace, equipment.
Job Prospects
Employment growth and the need to replace workers who leave the occupation each year will likely result in good job prospects. Many job openings are expected as experienced workers retire.
Those with experience in repair- or maintenance-related fields should continue to have the best job prospects.
Employment projections data for general maintenance and repair workers, 2019-29
Occupational Title
SOC Code
Employment, 2019
Projected Employment, 2029
Change, 2019-29
Employment by Industry
Percent
Numeric
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program