Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers
Also called: Copier Technician (Copier Tech), Field Engineer, Field Service Engineer, Service Technician (Service Tech)Repair, maintain, or install computers, word processing systems, automated teller machines, and electronic office machines, such as duplicating and fax machines.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 8 of its 25 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 3.0% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.5% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.8 hires for every 10 job openings in wholesale trade, which employs about 33% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $39,970 | $37,410 to $50,920 | 930 |
| Alaska | $46,680 | $38,480 to $59,550 | 170 |
| Arizona | $49,620 | $44,720 to $57,130 | 1,000 |
| Arkansas | $45,970 | $37,020 to $49,140 | 560 |
| California | $58,280 | $44,260 to $65,000 | 7,250 |
| Colorado | $49,650 | $42,630 to $63,250 | 880 |
| Connecticut | $61,190 | $46,190 to $79,350 | 380 |
| Delaware | $51,550 | $42,820 to $60,630 | 250 |
| Florida | $45,690 | $38,260 to $55,980 | 3,470 |
| Georgia | $45,390 | $37,600 to $56,520 | 2,330 |
| Guam | $32,360 | $24,100 to $37,400 | 90 |
| Hawaii | $49,270 | $43,260 to $59,040 | 110 |
| Idaho | $39,190 | $34,450 to $47,690 | 180 |
| Illinois | $44,860 | $37,560 to $55,340 | 3,260 |
| Indiana | $46,170 | $37,680 to $56,650 | 2,140 |
| Iowa | $47,330 | $37,480 to $60,210 | 420 |
| Kansas | $44,290 | $37,150 to $56,420 | 570 |
| Kentucky | $47,070 | $37,240 to $56,360 | 1,440 |
| Louisiana | $50,150 | $37,970 to $60,910 | 900 |
| Maine | $49,610 | $45,640 to $64,010 | 290 |
| Maryland | $54,120 | $46,680 to $61,580 | 960 |
| Massachusetts | $57,270 | $47,020 to $69,290 | 1,350 |
| Michigan | $47,570 | $38,120 to $58,630 | 1,660 |
| Minnesota | $50,540 | $43,460 to $64,550 | 1,720 |
| Mississippi | $42,920 | $36,330 to $54,150 | 490 |
| Missouri | $44,080 | $37,560 to $50,710 | 1,090 |
| Montana | $48,820 | $39,970 to $57,930 | 160 |
| Nebraska | $46,890 | $40,110 to $58,150 | 640 |
| Nevada | $38,430 | $36,160 to $62,770 | 410 |
| New Hampshire | $60,570 | $45,310 to $62,060 | 260 |
| New Jersey | $57,330 | $45,770 to $65,330 | 2,190 |
| New Mexico | $43,330 | $36,490 to $48,230 | 330 |
| New York | $57,290 | $44,650 to $67,870 | 3,240 |
| North Carolina | $46,890 | $38,590 to $53,280 | 3,160 |
| North Dakota | $58,720 | $43,180 to $64,580 | 160 |
| Ohio | $47,740 | $38,230 to $62,690 | 2,040 |
| Oklahoma | $51,880 | $39,520 to $58,310 | 780 |
| Oregon | $46,950 | $39,970 to $54,290 | 1,050 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,920 | $38,370 to $58,790 | 2,390 |
| Puerto Rico | $37,560 | $29,160 to $47,050 | 140 |
| Rhode Island | $49,700 | $44,290 to $59,710 | 70 |
| South Carolina | $39,060 | $37,050 to $50,290 | 680 |
| South Dakota | $59,700 | $50,470 to $63,440 | 300 |
| Tennessee | $42,330 | $36,780 to $53,480 | 1,110 |
| Texas | $45,480 | $38,070 to $51,660 | 7,140 |
| Utah | $41,810 | $37,810 to $58,460 | 570 |
| Vermont | $53,610 | $50,260 to $58,330 | 80 |
| Virginia | $44,750 | $37,880 to $57,050 | 1,530 |
| Washington | $49,050 | $44,980 to $61,430 | 2,010 |
| West Virginia | $38,720 | $36,400 to $52,620 | 370 |
| Wisconsin | $47,690 | $38,900 to $58,980 | 1,010 |
| Wyoming | $47,480 | $38,700 to $49,290 | 70 |
Nationally: $47,810. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 8 of its 25 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Advise customers concerning equipment operation, maintenance, or programming. | Not published |
| AI + software | Converse with customers to determine details of equipment problems. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Reassemble machines after making repairs or replacing parts. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain parts inventories and order any additional parts needed for repairs. | Not published |
| Not much | Travel to customers' stores or offices to service machines or to provide emergency repair service. | Not published |
| AI alone | Maintain records of equipment maintenance work or repairs. | Not published |
See all 25 tasks
| Not much | Disassemble machines to examine parts, such as wires, gears, or bearings for wear or defects, using hand or power tools and measuring devices. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate machines to test functioning of parts or mechanisms. | Not published |
| Not much | Repair, adjust, or replace electrical or mechanical components or parts, using hand tools, power tools, or soldering or welding equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Assemble machines according to specifications, using hand or power tools and measuring devices. | Not published |
| AI + software | Install and configure new equipment, including operating software or peripheral equipment. | Not published |
| AI + software | Reinstall software programs or adjust settings on existing software to fix machine malfunctions. | Not published |
| Not much | Update existing equipment, performing tasks such as installing updated circuit boards or additional memory. | Not published |
| Not much | Test components or circuits of faulty equipment to locate defects, using oscilloscopes, signal generators, ammeters, voltmeters, or special diagnostic software programs. | Not published |
| AI alone | Complete repair bills, shop records, time cards, or expense reports. | Not published |
| AI + software | Read specifications, such as blueprints, charts, or schematics, to determine machine settings or adjustments. | Not published |
| Not much | Test new systems to ensure that they are in working order. | Not published |
| Not much | Analyze equipment performance records to assess equipment functioning. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Fill machines with toners, inks, or other duplicating fluids. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean, oil, or adjust mechanical parts to maintain machines' operating efficiency and to prevent breakdowns. | Not published |
| Not much | Align, adjust, or calibrate equipment according to specifications. | Not published |
| Not much | Train new repairers. | Not published |
| AI + software | Enter information into computers to copy programs from one electronic component to another or to draw, modify, or store schematics. | Not published |
| Not much | Lay cable and hook up electrical connections between machines, power sources, and phone lines. | Not published |
| Not much | Calibrate testing instruments. O*NET flags this task's ratings as uncertain | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 2 of the 25 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 25 tasks fall under 21 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #35 Process digital or online data
- #36 Purchase goods or services
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Test performance of equipment or systems | |||
| Set up computer systems, networks, or other information systems | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Assemble equipment or components | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Process digital or online data |
Show all 21 activities
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Confer with clients to determine needs or order specifications | |||
| Analyze performance of systems or equipment | |||
| Connect components or supply lines to equipment or tools | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Disassemble equipment | |||
| Repair tools or equipment | |||
| Position materials or components for assembly | |||
| Train others on operational or work procedures | |||
| Train others to use equipment or products | |||
| Operate transportation equipment or vehicles | |||
| Install commercial or production equipment | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer27%
- An analysis or summary12%
- Advice or a recommendation7%
- A document or report5%
- Configuration or infrastructure4%
How they worked with Claude
55% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 5,918 moves out
- 1 Computer User Support Specialists Very high -3.5% 18%
- 2 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 5%
- 3 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 4%
- 4 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 3%
- 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Where people moved in from
of 5,798 moves in
- 1 Computer User Support Specialists Very high -3.5% 18%
- 2 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 5%
- 3 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 4%
- 4 First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives Moderate +3.3% 2%
- 5 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 2%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 4% less than high school
- 25% high school
- 29% some college
- 20% associate's
- 19% bachelor's
- 3% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 1,178 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
2 programs: Business Machine Repair and Computer Installation and Repair Technology/Technician.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 4 registered apprenticeships in this occupation. Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/49-2011.00