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. Excludes “Facilities Managers” (11-3013) and “Maintenance Workers, Machinery” (49-9043).
National median · BLS
$49,590
▲ +2%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$53,780
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
1,529,700
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$35,350
25th
$40,840
Median (50th)
$49,590
75th
$62,620
90th — top pay
$77,180
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
BLS projects employment of maintenance and repair workers, general to grow 4.2% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 148,700 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
1,621,800 → 1,690,500
+68,600 jobs
Projected change
+4.2%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
148,700
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
0.9% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General salaries by state
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
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Maintenance and Repair Workers, General salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Skills & tools
Skills needed for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Equipment Maintenance3.9
Repairing3.9
Troubleshooting3.8
Critical Thinking3.3
Active Learning3.1
Complex Problem Solving3.1
Monitoring3.1
Operation and Control3.1
Operations Monitoring3.1
Quality Control Analysis3.1
Top knowledge areas
Mechanical4.0
English Language3.7
Building and Construction3.7
Mathematics3.4
Production and Processing3.1
Customer and Personal Service2.9
Public Safety and Security2.6
Engineering and Technology2.5
Software and technology used
Microsoft Office softwareApple macOSAutodesk AutoCADFacebookGoogle DocsLinuxMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft ProjectMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft WordOracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio ManagementSAP softwareYardi softwareComputer aided design and drafting software CADDComputerized maintenance management system CMMSComputerized time management systems
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What maintenance and repair workers, general do
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.
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Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Maintenance and Repair Workers, General, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $49,590.
