Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers Salary: $38,860 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 97,540 helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers work nationally, and $38,860 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 9% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 2.2% annual decline.
Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers: what the data shows
Common questions about helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers?
Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 49-9098.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 97,540 workers.
What does a helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Performing General Physical Activities, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Getting Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $38,860 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $45,803 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34,290 |
| 25th percentile | $38,069 |
| Median (50th) | $43,851 |
| 75th percentile | $49,346 |
| 90th percentile | $59,420 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operation and Control, Active Listening, Troubleshooting, Critical Thinking, Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, Building and Construction, Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 2.2% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -10.5%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -19.8%.
Current U.S. headcount: 97,540.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 97,540 | 18.0% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 91,030 | 16.8% |
| Construction | 32,610 | 6.0% |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 29,560 | 5.5% |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 27,230 | 5.0% |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 24,100 | 4.4% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Systems Analysts | 497,800 | $103,790 |
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | 32,890 | $61,680 |
| Highway Maintenance Workers | 151,750 | $49,070 |
| Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers | 81,510 | $59,300 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | 318,570 | $96,800 |
| Maintenance Workers, Machinery | 56,540 | $60,500 |
| Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators | 16,480 | $67,370 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers workforce.
Employment Over Time
97,540 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers shrank from 60,260 in 2009 to 42,300 in 2025 (29.8%).
Historical employment for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$38,860 Median pay (BLS national)
Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers earn $38,860 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
Salary distribution for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
Employment Growth Projections
-2.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
37,871 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -10.5%
33,906 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -19.8%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
Wage Trends by Industry
0.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 14,200 employees, $37,370 avg wage
- CA: 10,690 employees, $44,600 avg wage
- FL: 6,530 employees, $39,610 avg wage
- NY: 5,220 employees, $48,730 avg wage
- VA: 4,030 employees, $39,810 avg wage
- NC: 3,750 employees, $38,700 avg wage
- LA: 3,580 employees, $37,370 avg wage
- GA: 3,310 employees, $35,880 avg wage
- NJ: 3,200 employees, $41,560 avg wage
- TN: 3,010 employees, $41,260 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 5,660 employees, $47,570 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 3,730 employees, $42,920 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 3,680 employees, $37,910 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 3,310 employees, $39,680 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 2,390 employees, $45,250 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 1,730 employees, $38,130 avg wage
- San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR: 1,710 employees, $26,220 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 1,650 employees, $42,770 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 1,570 employees, $40,160 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 1,480 employees, $43,940 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers is about 97,540 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers in 2023 were Engineering, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers workers.
Education level distribution for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
Skills
Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Active Listening, Troubleshooting, Critical Thinking, Equipment Maintenance.
Required skills for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers include Mechanical, Building and Construction, Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers include Manual Dexterity, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Control Precision, Near Vision, Multilimb Coordination.
Required abilities for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
Daily Activities
Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers spend their time on activities such as Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Performing General Physical Activities, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.
Most important work activities for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
About
Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers
Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers earn $38,860 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
49-9098 - Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers reports an average salary of $45,803.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 97,540 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -2.2%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.