Maintenance and Repair Workers, General

What the job really is

Perform work involving the skills of two or more maintenance or craft occupations to keep machines, mechanical equipment, or the structure of a building in repair. Duties may involve pipe fitting; HVAC maintenance; insulating; welding; machining; carpentry; repairing electrical or mechanical equipment; installing, aligning, and balancing new equipment; and repairing buildings, floors, or stairs.

At a glance

• Sector: Installation, Maintenance & Repair
• O*NET-SOC code: 49-9071
• O*NET job zone: 3 — medium preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Perform routine maintenance, such as inspecting drives, motors, or belts, checking fluid levels, replacing filters, or doing other preventive maintenance actions.
• Inspect, operate, or test machinery or equipment to diagnose machine malfunctions.
• Adjust functional parts of devices or control instruments, using hand tools, levels, plumb bobs, or straightedges.
• Repair machines, equipment, or structures, using tools such as hammers, hoists, saws, drills, wrenches, or equipment such as precision measuring instruments or electrical or electronic testing devices.
• Order parts, supplies, or equipment from catalogs or suppliers.
• Diagnose mechanical problems and determine how to correct them, checking blueprints, repair manuals, or parts catalogs, as necessary.
• Design new equipment to aid in the repair or maintenance of machines, mechanical equipment, or building structures.
• Assemble, install, or repair wiring, electrical or electronic components, pipe systems, plumbing, machinery, or equipment.
• Clean or lubricate shafts, bearings, gears, or other parts of machinery.
• Estimate costs to repair machinery, equipment, or building structures.
• Align and balance new equipment after installation.
• Record type and cost of maintenance or repair work.

Tools and technology

Apple macOS, Autodesk AutoCAD, Facebook, Google Docs, Linux, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Project, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Millwrights
• Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
• Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
• Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers
• Industrial Machinery Mechanics
• Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines
• Boilermakers
• Hydroelectric Plant Technicians

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 3 (medium preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Maintenance and Repair Workers, General — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.