Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers Salary: $45,803 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 97,540 helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers nationally earn a mean of $45,803. Employment in the series shown rose about 9% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 2.2% annual decline.
Key Statistics
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 percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34,290 |
| 25th percentile | $38,069 |
| Median (50th) | $43,851 |
| 75th percentile | $49,346 |
| 90th percentile | $59,420 |
What education do you need?
For Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
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 Workforce in 2023
The Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$45,803 Average Wage
In 2023, Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers earned an average of $45,803.
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.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 9,990 employees, $45,741 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 2,650 employees, $43,534 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 1,480 employees, $45,125 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 1,080 employees, $45,419 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 810 employees, $43,615 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 750 employees, $47,076 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 620 employees, $50,142 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 480 employees, $53,741 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 330 employees, $51,313 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 310 employees, $45,700 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 230 employees, $42,126 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 workforce of Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers in 2023 was 97,540 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
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
The average yearly wage for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers was $45,803 in 2023.
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.