CompSignal

Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 49-9098 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary
$39,624
$19.05/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
Get notified when this number updates
Personal or work email, both work. No account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.

The national median salary for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers is $39,624 per year ($19.05/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $34,902 and $46,904 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $55,890 per year. There are approximately 95,580 helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Help installation, maintenance, and repair workers in maintenance, parts replacement, and repair of vehicles, industrial machinery, and electrical and electronic equipment. Perform duties such as furnishing tools, materials, and supplies to other workers; cleaning work area, machines, and tools; and holding materials or tools for other workers.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+2.3%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
12K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
99K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
2% from new growth98% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Building Equipment Contractors
NAICS 238200
28K$39,860
Automotive Repair and Maintenance
NAICS 811100
15K$36,540
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
4K$46,880
Automobile Dealers
NAICS 441100
4K$36,860
Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance
NAICS 811300
3K$42,990
Wage range across top 5 industries: $36,540 to $46,880 (28% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salary
P10$14.09$29,307
P25$16.78$34,902
P50MEDIAN$19.05$39,624
P75$22.55$46,904
P90$26.87$55,890

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%

Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers salary?

The national median salary for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers is $39,624 per year ($19.05/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $34,902 and $46,904 annually.

How much do top-earning helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers make?

The 90th percentile salary for Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers is $55,890 per year ($26.87/hr). The 75th percentile is $46,904 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers?

Entry-level Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers (10th percentile) earn approximately $29,307 per year ($14.09/hr). The 25th percentile is $34,902 per year.

Related Salary Data

Compare with other occupations
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General49-9071$50K/yrAutomotive Service Technicians and Mechanics49-3023$51K/yrFirst-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers49-1011$80K/yrIndustrial Machinery Mechanics49-9041$65K/yrHeating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers49-9021$61K/yrBrowse all 770+ occupations →

Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment
Texas16,610 workersCalifornia9,050 workersFlorida5,520 workersNew York5,310 workersNorth Carolina4,400 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

About CompSignal

CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.

Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.

Open the full app →About Falcon Incentives →Privacy Policy
Explore more occupations on CompSignal →

Free BLS wage benchmarks, JOLTS talent signals, and AI analyst briefs

CompSignal by Falcon Incentives · BLS data, made usable · Verify on BLS.gov