General Maintenance and Repair Workers

Summary

What General Maintenance and Repair Workers Do About this section

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 preventive maintenance and service
• Assemble and set up machinery or equipment
• Plan repair work using blueprints or diagrams
• Order parts, supplies, or equipment
• 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.

When a job is above their skill level or requires a greater level of expertise, general maintenance and repair workers may coordinate with other workers such as electricians; carpenters; or heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics or installers.

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 a variety of locations, such as cafeterias, factories, and offices.

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.

Work Environment About this section

Many workers need safety gear when working with certain tools and equipment.

General maintenance and repair workers held about 1.6 million jobs in 2024. The largest employers of general maintenance and repair workers were as follows:

General maintenance and repair workers often carry out many different tasks in a single day at any number of indoor or outdoor 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 workers have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. They must take precautions to avoid injury in many situations, such as when lifting heavy objects, working on ladders, or operating tools and machinery. Common injuries include sprains, cuts, and fractures.

Work Schedules

Most general maintenance and repair workers work full time. They may need to be on call outside normal business hours, such as during evenings and weekends, for emergency repairs.

How to Become a General Maintenance and Repair Worker About this section

Beginners often work under the supervision of more experienced workers.

General maintenance and repair workers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent. They usually learn their skills on the job or in apprenticeships or training programs.

Education

A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required to enter the occupation. Many general maintenance and repair workers learn some basic skills in high school technical education classes, postsecondary trade or vocational schools, or community colleges.

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. Others may complete an apprenticeship program, which usually combines paid on-the-job training with technical instruction. More information on apprenticeships can be found at apprenticeship.gov.

Those with work experience or that have completed a vocational-technical program in a related trade may have a shorter period of on-the-job training.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

For more complex tasks, workers may need to be licensed or certified in a particular specialty, such as electrical or plumbing work. Licensing requirements vary by state and locality. Information on state licensing board requirements is available from CareerOneStop.

Advancement

Some general maintenance and repair workers decide to train in one specific trade and become trades workers, such as electricians, heating and air-conditioning mechanics, or plumbers.

Others might go on to become supervisors or managers or open their own repair business. To qualify for certain jobs, such as facilities manager or construction manager, a college degree may be required.

Important Qualities

The following are examples of qualities that are important for these workers to perform their duties. For more information, visit the Employment Projections (EP) skills data page.

Adaptability. General maintenance and repair workers need to be able to shift work and priorities to handle multiple repair requests. They also may need to be on call for emergency repairs.

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.

Mechanical skills. General maintenance and repair workers need a basic understanding of how tools, systems, and machines work to do routine maintenance and make needed repairs.

Physical strength. General maintenance and repair workers must be able to lift or move heavy equipment, parts, or materials.

Problem-solving skills. General maintenance and repair workers must diagnose and repair a wide variety of building and equipment issues. They may perform tests to figure out the cause of a problem before fixing it.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage for general maintenance and repair workers was $48,620 in May 2024. 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 $33,860, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $76,110.

In May 2024, the median annual wages for general maintenance and repair workers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Most general maintenance and repair workers work full time. They may need to be on call during evenings and weekends for emergency repairs.

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of general maintenance and repair workers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

About 159,800 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.

Employment

Maintenance and repair workers will continue to be needed to improve and renovate residential and nonresidential properties, such as apartment buildings, commercial offices, and public buildings. This is especially true for older structures, which typically require more maintenance or repair.

State & Area Data About this section

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)

The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link below goes to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area. Use the dropdown boxes to select an occupation.

• Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Profiles

Projections Central

Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.org. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved.

CareerOneStop

CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For more details about apprenticeships or work opportunities in this occupation, contact your local employment office or firms that employ general maintenance and repair workers. Apprenticeship information is available from the U.S. Department of Labor's Apprenticeship program online or by phone at 877-872-5627. Visit apprenticeship.gov to search for apprenticeship opportunities. 

For information about state licensing board requirements and certifications, visit CareerOneStop.

CareerOneStop

For a career video on general maintenance and repair workers, visit

General Maintenance and Repair Workers

O*NET

Maintenance and Repair Workers, General