A home maintenance technician repairs problems within residences.
Home maintenance workers take a hands-on approach to solving problems. These workers are frequently known as the jack-of-all-trades compared to their other specialized construction counterparts. When confronted with a leaky faucet or broken air conditioner, a home maintenance worker pulls from a wide base of knowledge and fixes the issue. Home maintenance workers are a type of maintenance and repair worker.
Responsibilities
According to the Occupational Information Network, home maintenance workers are versatile in their maintenance skills. These workers have two or more maintenance or craft skills. Home maintenance workers repair machines, mechanical equipment or the overall structure of the establishment. Duties include pipefitting, insulating, welding, boiler making, carpentry, machining, repairing mechanical or electrical equipment, installing equipment and repairing buildings.
Environment and Hours
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, home maintenance workers can be found indoors and outdoors. These workers can be called at an individual basis for private residences or be employed for an apartment or condominium complex. Most general maintenance workers have a 40-hour workweek. Some are on-call for emergencies and also work nights and weekends.
Education and Training
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employers typically seek those with a high school degree or GED. Maintenance workers can learn their skills informally on-the-job as helpers to workers, such as electricians, carpenters and other construction workers. On-the-job training takes several months to a full year, depending on the skill-level achieved. Certification is available from the International Management Institute for various levels of employees, from entry-level to those seeking an advanced position. In order to become certified, applicants must meet several training or educational prerequisites and pass an examination.
Earnings
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, maintenance and repair workers earned a national mean hourly wage of $17.56 and a national mean annual wage of $36,520 in May 2009. The industries that employed the highest number of maintenance and repair workers were lessors of real estate with a mean annual wage of $31,550; the local government, $38,400; activities related to real estate, $32,760; traveler accommodation, $30,400; and elementary and secondary schools, $38,360. Home maintenance workers are likely to be found in industries involving residential clients, such as lessors of real estate or activities related to real estate.
Outlook
According to the National Employment Matrix from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for general maintenance and repair workers are expected to increase at a rate of 11 percent through 2018. Job prospects will be excellent, especially for those with hands-on experience in maintenance or any other related field. Those who have certification will have even better opportunities. General maintenance and repair is a large occupation that generates many job openings due to the need to replace workers who retire or leave the occupation.
Tags: maintenance repair, Bureau Labor, Bureau Labor Statistics, Labor Statistics, maintenance workers, real estate
