Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers
Also called: Maintenance Aide, Maintenance Helper, Mechanic Helper, Technician's HelperHelp installation, maintenance, and repair workers in maintenance, parts replacement, and repair of vehicles, industrial machinery, and electrical and electronic equipment. Perform duties such as furnishing tools, materials, and supplies to other workers; cleaning work area, machines, and tools; and holding materials or tools for other workers.
On a phone, press and hold a picture to save it to Photos.
opens your phone's share sheet, where you can save both to Photos
What the data says: AI couldn't halve the time on any of its 16 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 5.3% 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, 9.3% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 12.8 hires for every 10 job openings in construction, which employs about 36% 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.12.8 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 | $36,140 | $28,950 to $41,290 | 1,710 |
| Alaska | $45,740 | $36,230 to $49,710 | 550 |
| Arizona | $45,560 | $38,610 to $49,240 | 1,770 |
| Arkansas | $33,630 | $28,150 to $37,440 | 1,140 |
| California | $44,670 | $38,290 to $49,430 | 9,050 |
| Colorado | $45,610 | $38,580 to $50,740 | 1,190 |
| Connecticut | $44,370 | $37,410 to $50,470 | 1,050 |
| Delaware | $40,530 | $36,610 to $49,220 | 360 |
| District of Columbia | $54,860 | $43,640 to $83,540 | 110 |
| Florida | $38,710 | $35,190 to $44,760 | 5,520 |
| Georgia | $36,640 | $29,560 to $46,260 | 3,100 |
| Guam | $27,050 | $21,950 to $31,960 | 340 |
| Hawaii | $46,320 | $41,390 to $56,020 | 660 |
| Idaho | $39,250 | $31,930 to $49,520 | 430 |
| Illinois | $39,730 | $34,880 to $48,420 | 1,750 |
| Indiana | $37,470 | $29,710 to $45,630 | 1,160 |
| Iowa | $38,690 | $34,030 to $45,790 | 990 |
| Kansas | $37,430 | $30,510 to $42,150 | 440 |
| Kentucky | $37,000 | $33,580 to $43,870 | 900 |
| Louisiana | $36,160 | $30,310 to $43,100 | 3,910 |
| Maine | $39,520 | $36,210 to $48,070 | 280 |
| Maryland | $41,630 | $36,910 to $47,670 | 1,770 |
| Massachusetts | $42,200 | $37,250 to $50,070 | 1,290 |
| Michigan | $43,630 | $36,880 to $49,880 | 2,180 |
| Minnesota | $44,950 | $38,620 to $50,840 | 1,110 |
| Mississippi | $35,440 | $31,640 to $40,670 | 960 |
| Missouri | $37,110 | $33,900 to $46,070 | 670 |
| Montana | $39,430 | $33,190 to $43,970 | 400 |
| Nebraska | $35,480 | $31,840 to $39,830 | 350 |
| Nevada | $36,610 | $35,480 to $45,760 | 1,030 |
| New Hampshire | $45,760 | $40,670 to $48,360 | 560 |
| New Jersey | $41,230 | $37,200 to $45,760 | 3,050 |
| New Mexico | $36,950 | $34,110 to $43,160 | 770 |
| New York | $43,870 | $41,600 to $54,100 | 5,310 |
| North Carolina | $38,700 | $34,180 to $45,490 | 4,400 |
| North Dakota | $44,710 | $32,250 to $47,740 | 100 |
| Ohio | $39,980 | $34,930 to $47,250 | 1,550 |
| Oklahoma | $35,530 | $28,770 to $44,800 | 1,820 |
| Oregon | $43,300 | $36,740 to $49,290 | 1,330 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,500 | $34,200 to $47,280 | 2,540 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,810 | $22,140 to $28,390 | 2,190 |
| Rhode Island | $45,240 | $36,470 to $49,760 | 140 |
| South Carolina | $38,480 | $33,850 to $47,000 | 2,160 |
| Tennessee | $38,490 | $34,970 to $45,060 | 2,540 |
| Texas | $37,000 | $31,640 to $44,000 | 16,610 |
| Utah | $44,210 | $35,030 to $49,560 | 410 |
| Vermont | $42,630 | $34,640 to $49,920 | 90 |
| Virginia | $38,890 | $34,750 to $47,820 | 3,100 |
| Washington | $46,080 | $40,670 to $56,900 | 1,110 |
| West Virginia | $39,030 | $34,320 to $49,400 | 340 |
| Wisconsin | $41,600 | $34,520 to $47,300 | 1,640 |
| Wyoming | $31,260 | $20,810 to $39,520 | 160 |
Nationally: $39,630. 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 none of its 16 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Examine and test machinery, equipment, components, and parts for defects to ensure proper functioning. | Not published |
| Not much | Install or replace machinery, equipment, and new or replacement parts and instruments, using hand or power tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Tend and observe equipment and machinery to verify efficient and safe operation. | Not published |
| Not much | Adjust, connect, or disconnect wiring, piping, tubing, and other parts, using hand or power tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean or lubricate vehicles, machinery, equipment, instruments, tools, work areas, and other objects, using hand tools, power tools, and cleaning equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Disassemble broken or defective equipment to facilitate repair and reassemble equipment when repairs are complete. | Not published |
See all 16 tasks
| Not much | Transfer tools, parts, equipment, and supplies to and from work stations and other areas. | Not published |
| Not much | Hold or supply tools, parts, equipment, and supplies for other workers. | Not published |
| Not much | Position vehicles, machinery, equipment, physical structures, and other objects for assembly or installation, using hand tools, power tools, and moving equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Adjust, maintain, and repair tools, equipment, and machines, and assist more skilled workers with similar tasks. | Not published |
| Not much | Diagnose electrical problems and install and rewire electrical components. | Not published |
| Not much | Apply protective materials to equipment, components, and parts to prevent defects and corrosion. | Not published |
| Not much | Assemble and maintain physical structures, using hand or power tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Order new parts to maintain inventory. | Not published |
| Not much | Design, weld, and fabricate parts, using blueprints or other mechanical plans. | Not published |
| Not much | Prepare work stations for use by mechanics and repairers. | 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. 0 of the 16 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 16 tasks fall under 18 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.
- #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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Position tools or equipment | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Assemble equipment or components | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment | |||
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Test performance of equipment or systems |
Show all 18 activities
| Connect components or supply lines to equipment or tools | |||
| Disassemble equipment | |||
| Monitor equipment operation | |||
| Build structures | |||
| Repair electrical or electronic equipment | |||
| Perform general construction or extraction activities | |||
| Fabricate devices or components | |||
| Move materials, equipment, or supplies | |||
| Set up protective structures or coverings near work areas | |||
| Join parts using soldering, welding, or brazing techniques |
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 helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers 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 11,841 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 2 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 4%
- 3 First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers High +4.1% 4%
- 4 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 3%
- 5 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 10,059 moves in
- 1 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 5%
- 2 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 4%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 4 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 3%
- 5 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 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
- 2% less than high school
- 32% high school
- 23% postsecondary certificate
- 17% some college
- 25% associate's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 27 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 32% less than high school
- 36% high school
- 17% some college
- 11% associate's
- 4% bachelor's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 157 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
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
34.9% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 2.9% | 19.1% |
| a certification | <0.5% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
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 2 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (FACILITIES LOCATOR; SERVICE PLANNER (Light,Heat)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers” 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/49-9098.00