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.
General maintenance and repair workers typically do the following:
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.
These workers are also responsible for recognizing when a job is above their skill level and requires the expertise of an electrician; a carpenter; a heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration mechanic or installer; or a plumber, pipefitter, or steamfitter.
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.
General maintenance and repair workers held about 1.5 million jobs in 2021. The largest employers of general maintenance and repair workers were as follows:
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 21% |
| Manufacturing | 13 |
| Government | 12 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 9 |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 7 |
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.
General maintenance and repair workers have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. Common injuries include electrical shocks, falls, cuts, and bruises.
Most general maintenance and repair workers work full time, including evenings or weekends. Some are on call for emergency repairs.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Some maintenance and repair workers decide to train in one specific craft and become craftworkers, such as electricians, heating and air-conditioning mechanics, or plumbers.
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.
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.
Median annual wages, May 2021
The median annual wage for general maintenance and repair workers was $43,180 in May 2021. 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 $28,910, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $62,400.
In May 2021, the median annual wages for general maintenance and repair workers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Manufacturing | $48,060 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 46,910 |
| Government | 46,700 |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 39,070 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 37,900 |
Most general maintenance and repair workers work full time, including evenings or weekends. Some are on call for emergency repairs.
Percent change in employment, projected 2021-31
Employment of general maintenance and repair workers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
About 160,100 openings for general maintenance and repair workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Maintenance and repair work is closely related to the demand for home and building maintenance. Maintenance and repair workers will continue to be needed to upgrade and renovate older homes. Homeowners may invest in projects to accommodate their future living needs, allowing them to remain in their homes after retirement or to sell their property.
In addition to the work required for residential properties, maintenance and repair is also needed for nonresidential properties. For example, maintenance and repair workers will be needed to work on older commercial and public buildings. Older homes and buildings typically require more maintenance or repair, especially for pipes, insulation, electrical, and air-conditioning and heating systems.
| Occupational Title | SOC Code | Employment, 2021 | Projected Employment, 2031 | Change, 2021-31 | Employment by Industry | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | ||||||
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program |
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Maintenance and repair workers, general |
49-9071 | 1,539,100 | 1,615,300 | 5 | 76,300 | Get data | |
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