Home Appliance Repairers
Also called: Appliance Technician (Appliance Tech), Repair Technician, Service Technician (Service Tech), Vacuum RepairerRepair, adjust, or install all types of electric or gas household appliances, such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, and ovens.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 4 of its 29 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 1.9% 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, 2.3% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.7 hires for every 10 job openings in other services, which employs about 48% 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.7.7 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 | $50,190 | $37,050 to $55,140 | 280 |
| Alaska | $63,950 | $42,630 to $75,660 | 100 |
| Arizona | $47,800 | $37,380 to $58,580 | 990 |
| Arkansas | $38,680 | $29,310 to $45,410 | 230 |
| California | $58,480 | $44,040 to $72,120 | 2,760 |
| Colorado | $52,220 | $46,890 to $62,230 | 550 |
| Connecticut | $62,380 | $56,400 to $95,060 | 380 |
| Delaware | $53,390 | $46,320 to $59,130 | 60 |
| Florida | $57,280 | $46,800 to $65,820 | 3,000 |
| Georgia | $49,500 | $42,210 to $63,460 | 670 |
| Hawaii | $58,300 | $47,890 to $59,680 | 240 |
| Idaho | $45,650 | $39,740 to $57,810 | 260 |
| Illinois | $56,860 | $48,170 to $66,380 | 1,730 |
| Indiana | $47,080 | $36,950 to $57,530 | 1,030 |
| Iowa | $44,090 | $40,740 to $56,320 | 210 |
| Kansas | $38,840 | $29,420 to $50,960 | 310 |
| Kentucky | $49,710 | $43,930 to $62,180 | 200 |
| Louisiana | $49,240 | $45,050 to $60,730 | 310 |
| Maine | $46,500 | $43,680 to $51,230 | 160 |
| Maryland | $57,860 | $46,860 to $72,850 | 570 |
| Massachusetts | $70,750 | $60,390 to $86,400 | 550 |
| Michigan | $52,160 | $46,020 to $62,480 | 1,050 |
| Minnesota | $61,360 | $58,500 to $71,360 | 540 |
| Mississippi | $35,890 | $30,660 to $38,930 | 220 |
| Missouri | $48,530 | $39,770 to $60,100 | 890 |
| Montana | $47,130 | $43,320 to $48,790 | 130 |
| Nebraska | $45,620 | $37,510 to $61,580 | 260 |
| Nevada | $48,070 | $46,800 to $58,960 | not published |
| New Hampshire | $53,640 | $49,820 to $60,320 | 200 |
| New Jersey | $55,450 | $43,780 to $94,930 | 1,200 |
| New Mexico | $37,440 | $31,970 to $47,270 | 150 |
| New York | $65,190 | $44,760 to $77,900 | 2,110 |
| North Carolina | $47,270 | $37,120 to $57,040 | 960 |
| North Dakota | $48,720 | $37,630 to $61,850 | 50 |
| Ohio | $47,300 | $40,160 to $62,400 | 730 |
| Oklahoma | $40,210 | $36,440 to $53,290 | 280 |
| Oregon | $51,160 | $45,740 to $60,850 | 680 |
| Pennsylvania | $51,990 | $46,770 to $60,880 | 1,010 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,840 | $29,370 to $31,490 | not published |
| Rhode Island | $50,170 | $50,170 to $63,950 | 60 |
| South Carolina | $47,460 | $39,870 to $58,580 | 380 |
| South Dakota | $47,340 | $38,480 to $57,250 | 100 |
| Tennessee | $49,580 | $45,500 to $58,800 | 690 |
| Texas | $48,630 | $40,490 to $59,140 | 2,200 |
| Utah | $49,350 | $38,140 to $62,400 | 360 |
| Vermont | $58,750 | $45,720 to $77,990 | 60 |
| Virginia | $59,820 | $47,420 to $81,000 | 870 |
| Washington | $58,110 | $48,840 to $63,470 | 800 |
| West Virginia | $35,720 | $29,490 to $42,180 | 80 |
| Wisconsin | $52,440 | $47,840 to $64,480 | 520 |
| Wyoming | $43,630 | $38,260 to $47,330 | 170 |
Nationally: $50,990. 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 4 of its 29 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI alone | Talk to customers or refer to work orders to establish the nature of appliance malfunctions. | Not published |
| Not much | Observe and examine appliances during operation to detect specific malfunctions such as loose parts or leaking fluid. | Not published |
| Not much | Bill customers for repair work, and collect payment. | Not published |
| AI + software | Refer to schematic drawings, product manuals, and troubleshooting guides to diagnose and repair problems. | Not published |
| Not much | Disassemble appliances so that problems can be diagnosed and repairs can be made. | Not published |
| Not much | Replace worn and defective parts such as switches, bearings, transmissions, belts, gears, circuit boards, or defective wiring. | Not published |
See all 29 tasks
| Not much | Instruct customers regarding operation and care of appliances, and provide information such as emergency service numbers. | Not published |
| AI + software | Provide repair cost estimates, and recommend whether appliance repair or replacement is a better choice. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Reassemble units after repairs are made, making adjustments and cleaning and lubricating parts as needed. | Not published |
| Not much | Trace electrical circuits, following diagrams, and conduct tests with circuit testers and other equipment to locate shorts and grounds. | Not published |
| Not much | Service and repair domestic electrical or gas appliances, such as clothes washers, refrigerators, stoves, and dryers. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain stocks of parts used in on-site installation, maintenance, and repair of appliances. | Not published |
| AI alone | Record maintenance and repair work performed on appliances. | Not published |
| Not much | Light and adjust pilot lights on gas stoves, and examine valves and burners for gas leakage and specified flame. | Not published |
| Not much | Test and examine gas pipelines and equipment to locate leaks and faulty connections, and to determine the pressure and flow of gas. | Not published |
| Not much | Level washing machines and connect hoses to water pipes, using hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Level refrigerators, adjust doors, and connect water lines to water pipes for ice makers and water dispensers, using hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Set appliance thermostats, and check to ensure that they are functioning properly. | Not published |
| Not much | Observe and test operation of appliances following installation, and make any initial installation adjustments that are necessary. | Not published |
| Not much | Contact supervisors or offices to receive repair assignments. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean and reinstall parts. | Not published |
| Not much | Respond to emergency calls for problems such as gas leaks. | Not published |
| Not much | Install appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, and stoves. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean, lubricate, and touch up minor defects on newly installed or repaired appliances. | Not published |
| Not much | Conserve, recover, and recycle refrigerants used in cooling systems. | Not published |
| Not much | Install gas pipes and water lines to connect appliances to existing gas lines or plumbing. | Not published |
| Not much | Take measurements to determine if appliances will fit in installation locations, performing minor carpentry work when necessary to ensure proper installation. | Not published |
| Not much | Assemble new or reconditioned appliances. | Not published |
| Not much | Measure, cut, and thread pipe, and connect it to feeder lines and equipment or appliances, using rules and hand tools. | 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. 1 of the 29 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 29 tasks fall under 26 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
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Test performance of equipment or systems | |||
| Connect components or supply lines to equipment or tools | |||
| Position tools or equipment | |||
| Assemble equipment or components |
Show all 26 activities
| Repair tools or equipment | |||
| Monitor equipment operation | |||
| Install plumbing or piping equipment or systems | |||
| Confer with clients to determine needs or order specifications | |||
| Coordinate with others to resolve problems | |||
| Advise others on business or operational matters | |||
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Estimate project development or operational costs | |||
| Dispose of waste or debris | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Cut materials | |||
| Disassemble equipment | |||
| Train others to use equipment or products | |||
| Operate transportation equipment or vehicles | |||
| Collect fares or payments | |||
| 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
- Advice or a recommendation58%
- An explanation or answer21%
- A document or report5%
- An email or message4%
- A plan or strategy4%
How they worked with Claude
18% 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 home appliance 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 5,174 moves out
- 1 Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary Very high -0.3% 13%
- 2 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 7%
- 3 Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians Low +5.4% 5%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 5 Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School High -0.4% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 3,811 moves in
- 1 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 6%
- 2 Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary Very high -0.3% 5%
- 3 Computer User Support Specialists Very high -3.5% 4%
- 4 Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians Low +5.4% 4%
- 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 8% less than high school
- 69% high school
- 20% postsecondary certificate
- 3% associate's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 19 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 8% less than high school
- 45% high school
- 26% some college
- 5% associate's
- 12% bachelor's
- 4% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 415 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
1 program: Appliance 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 7 registered apprenticeships in this occupation. Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Home Appliance 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
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