Maintenance and Repair Worker Job Overview | Best Jobs

Overall Score

(3.2 out of 5)

Number of Jobs

125,200

Median Salary

$35,640

Unemployment Rate

5.8 percent

This Job is Ranked in
Best Social Services Jobs	^#8
The 100 Best Jobs	^#55

When reading job reviews by maintenance and repair workers, three virtues stand out: autonomy, variety and security. Do you like to set your own hours and work a less-than-traditional schedule? Many maintenance and repair workers are given a wide berth to work independently. Are you trying to avoid a “Groundhog Day” routine? You’re in luck – professionals in this field may be called on to fix an electrical problem inside one day and paint shingles outside the next. This vocation also has promising job prospects: The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the profession to grow by 9.4 percent by 2022. With the proper training, you could be one of the nearly 1.45 million people earning a paycheck as a maintenance and repair worker before this decade’s end. The expected growth translates to more than 125,000 jobs, with the best opportunities for candidates with prior experience.

The job is not a cakewalk, though. Many of the “odd jobs” a Mr. or Ms. Fix-It might tackle require knowledge of skilled trades such as carpentry and plumbing. Ted Tenenbaum, owner of a Mr. Handyman franchise serving the Los Angeles area, says general maintenance and repair workers are like “doctors for your home.” They should have good problem-solving skills, he adds, and “sometimes they need to be creative when a solution isn’t so obvious.” Workers should be in good physical shape to endure standing, squatting and stooping for long periods of time, and they must be able to lift heavy objects and work with complex tools. Customer-service skills and computer savvy are useful as well.

Salary

The jack-of-all-trades nature of a maintenance and repair worker’s responsibilities doesn’t usually translate into serious coin. The median salary for workers in 2013 was $35,640, while the highest-paid earned about $57,990 and the lowest-paid made $21,070. The West Coast dominates in the pay department, with San Francisco; Kennewick, Washington; and San Jose, California ranking as the highest-paying metropolitan areas.

Salary Range
75th Percentile	$46,340
Median	$35,640
25th Percentile	$27,000

Training

Most people who enter this profession start as apprentices for months or even years before cultivating the expertise to work independently. And when they are ready to do so, they will most likely have to obtain a license. Requirements vary by state, and some demand additional training in electrical and plumbing work. Many companies prefer to hire workers with at least a high school diploma and the lowest level of certification (Certified Maintenance Technician). Tenenbaum says his company prefers to hire people who have worked at least 15 years in skilled trades.

Reviews and Advice

“A lot of skilled tradespeople show up for a handyman interview wearing clothes that you wouldn’t want your plumber to wear. I actually had an applicant show up eating a sandwich,” Tenenbaum says. Dress like you’re seeking employment as a banker. And show a little personality. Tenenbaum says the repair men and women with the most longevity are the ones who are pleasant to have around. “They display a sense of humor and a love for their work. We even have a handyman who whistles while he works,” he says.