Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
What Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Do
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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 1.1%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 3 of 5Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Mechanicalimportance 4.0/5
- English Languageimportance 3.7/5
- Building and Constructionimportance 3.7/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.4/5
- Production and Processingimportance 3.1/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 2.9/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 2.6/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 2.5/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
- Contact With Others4.7/5
- Telephone Conversations4.6/5
- Health and Safety of Other Workers4.6/5
- E-Mail4.5/5
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.4/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Rail Car Repairers95% skill match
- Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers94% skill match
- Maintenance Workers, Machinery94% skill match
- Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers92% skill match
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines92% skill match
- Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles91% skill match
- Home Appliance Repairers91% skill match
- Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians90% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.9/5
- Repairingimportance 3.9/5
- Troubleshootingimportance 3.8/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.1/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.1/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.1/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
- Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
- Computerized time management systems
- Dassault Systemes CATIA
- Data entry software
- Database software
- Digital direct control DDC energy management software
- Dropbox
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
- Perseverance
- Integrity
- Adaptability
- Initiative
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- SocialLow
- EnterprisingLow
- ArtisticLow
Specific Interests
A more detailed breakdown of this occupation’s interest profile, per O*NET.
Military Backgrounds That Lead Here
Military occupations commonly matched to this career, per the DMDC Military Crosswalk.
- Aircraft Armament Systems Helper, F-16 (2W111F)Space Force
- Aircraft Armament Systems Helper, B-52/B-2 (2W111K)Space Force
- Aircraft Armament Systems Helper, F-15 (2W111E)Space Force
- Conversion NEC TM Torpedomans Mate (4599)Navy
- Torpedoman’s Mate (TM)Navy
- Aircraft Armament Systems Helper, F-35 (2W111J)Space Force
- SSN 784 - 802 Virginia Block III/IV Weapons Equipment Technician (782B)Navy
- Aircraft Armament Systems Helper (2W111)Space Force
- Aircraft Armament Systems Helper, A10 (2W111C)Space Force
- Aircraft Armament Systems Helper, B-1 (2W111L)Space Force
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 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.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where maintenance and repair workers, general make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Decatur, IL3.02× national avg
- 2Guayama, PR2.54× national avg
- 3Watertown-Fort Drum, NY1.97× national avg
- 4Athens-Clarke County, GA1.94× national avg
- 5Kahului-Wailuku, HI1.86× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Industrial Machinery MechanicsLateral Move
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except EnginesLateral Move
- MillwrightsLateral Move
- Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair WorkersLateral Move
See the full career path from Maintenance and Repair Workers, General →
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.