Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Moderate-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other, represent a broad technical career path focused on keeping equipment and systems working reliably. Nationally, about 221,000 people work in this occupation, with a national median annual salary of $48,640. The role combines hands-on mechanical work with problem solving, attention to detail, and physical stamina. Projected employment growth of 2.4% and 22,000 annual openings suggest a steady flow of opportunities over time. This field can appeal to people who enjoy practical, mechanical tasks and using fine motor skills, as well as those who like troubleshooting and making decisions in real-world situations. The occupation also values leadership, creativity and innovation, mathematics, and science, giving workers multiple ways to develop and apply their strengths. With opportunities across many states and metro areas at different pay levels, candidates can explore locations and roles that align with their salary goals, physical abilities, and interest in technical problem solving.
The national median annual salary for installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other, is $48,640. Within this overall picture, pay varies meaningfully by location. Among top states by CareerGPS opportunity score, median salaries range from $50,840 in Colorado to $63,080 in Washington. Massachusetts and New York also show relatively higher median salaries of $59,890 and $56,900. California’s median of $51,230 sits closer to the national level while still offering significant employment. Looking at metro areas, median salaries cluster in the low-to-mid $50,000s to low $60,000s. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH shows the highest median at $60,230, while San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA both offer medians just above $58,000. These figures suggest that workers in certain states and metros may find higher earning potential than the national median, especially in selected urban regions.
Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other, have national employment of about 221,000 and projected employment growth of 2.4%. This growth rate, combined with an estimated 22,000 annual openings, indicates that opportunities arise both from new positions and from turnover or replacement needs. The combination of existing workforce size and projected change points to a sizable and continuing job market. The 2.4% growth projection appears consistently across the highlighted states and metro areas, suggesting that expectations for future demand are broadly similar in these leading locations. For job seekers, this means that while growth is not concentrated in one specific area, there is a steady outlook in multiple regions. People interested in this type of work can consider both national trends and local opportunity scores when deciding where to focus their search and how to plan for long-term employment in the field.
Location plays a significant role in opportunity for installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other. Among states, California has the highest employment at 23,630, with a median salary of $51,230 and an opportunity score of 67.38. Washington offers the highest state-level median salary in this group at $63,080, while Massachusetts and New York also stand out with median salaries of $59,890 and $56,900. Colorado combines a median salary of $50,840 with solid employment of 4,980. All of these states share the same projected growth rate of 2.4%, so differences mainly appear in pay levels, employment size, and opportunity scores. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ have the highest opportunity scores, 77.42 and 77.27 respectively, with median salaries around the mid-$50,000s. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH shows the highest metro median salary at $60,230. These variations give workers options to prioritize higher pay, larger job markets, or overall opportunity scores when choosing where to live and work.
The typical education for installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other, is a high school diploma or equivalent. This makes the field accessible to individuals who are ready to enter the workforce without completing a college degree. However, success in this occupation depends strongly on a well-rounded skill set. Key skills include mechanical ability, physical strength and stamina, and fine motor skills, reflecting the hands-on and physically active nature of the work. Problem solving and decision making, detail orientation, and project management are important for planning tasks and handling issues that arise. Science and mathematics knowledge support more technical aspects of the role, while creativity and innovation can help workers find better ways to complete installations or repairs. Leadership skills add value for those who may coordinate work or guide others. Together, these skills provide a roadmap for building capability and competitiveness, whether through on-the-job learning, vocational programs, or targeted skill development after high school.
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