Installation, Maintenance and Repair Jobs: Every Major Occupation’s Pay, Ranked (May 2025 BLS Data)
- The median annual wage for installation, maintenance and repair occupations was $59,620 in May 2025, above the $50,980 median for all U.S. jobs.
- The group employed about 6,086,190 people nationwide.
- Its best-paid occupation with at least 10,000 jobs was electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay ($103,020); the lowest-paid was tire repairers and changers ($37,710).
BLS sorts every job in the country into 22 major occupational groups. This one, “Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations” (SOC 49-0000), covers the occupations below. All pay and job counts come from the BLS OEWS national data, May 2025; the typical entry education for each job comes from BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35. Use the tables to see where your job sits in its field and which nearby jobs pay more.
Highest-paying jobs in the group
Occupations with at least 10,000 U.S. jobs, ranked by median annual wage:
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Hourly median | U.S. jobs | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay | $103,020 | $49.53 | 20,720 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $95,320 | $45.83 | 131,070 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Avionics Technicians | $82,280 | $39.56 | 18,830 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $79,870 | $38.40 | 138,090 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $79,860 | $38.39 | 617,500 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | $74,340 | $35.74 | 48,240 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers | $74,330 | $35.73 | 97,720 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment | $74,090 | $35.62 | 65,010 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Rail Car Repairers | $67,530 | $32.46 | 21,350 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Millwrights | $65,700 | $31.59 | 40,330 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | $65,510 | $31.50 | 176,600 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | $64,520 | $31.02 | 439,640 | High school diploma or equivalent |
Lowest-paying jobs in the group
| Occupation | Median annual wage | U.S. jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Repairers and Changers | $37,710 | 108,410 |
| Helpers–Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers | $39,630 | 95,580 |
| Bicycle Repairers | $42,780 | 12,170 |
| Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers | $47,450 | 26,410 |
| Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers | $47,630 | 20,310 |
The most common jobs in the group
These are the occupations most people in this field actually hold:
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,529,700 | $35,350 | $49,590 | $77,180 |
| Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics | 704,640 | $34,660 | $50,620 | $81,790 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | 617,500 | $49,600 | $79,860 | $126,790 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | 439,640 | $46,120 | $64,520 | $95,170 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | 409,670 | $40,050 | $61,010 | $95,210 |
| Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists | 289,960 | $44,530 | $61,770 | $88,740 |
| Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | 176,600 | $46,820 | $65,510 | $94,460 |
| Automotive Body and Related Repairers | 149,310 | $36,910 | $54,890 | $87,940 |
Where installation, maintenance and repair jobs pay the most
States with the highest median wage for the whole group (BLS OEWS state data, May 2025):
| State | Group median wage | Jobs in the group |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $74,780 | 19,280 |
| District of Columbia | $72,000 | 10,740 |
| Washington | $69,090 | 133,880 |
| Hawaii | $66,130 | 26,140 |
| Massachusetts | $65,260 | 107,060 |
The lowest group medians were in Mississippi ($49,130), Arkansas ($49,610), West Virginia ($49,740). Part of the gap reflects living costs and part reflects which jobs in the group are common in each state.
No bachelor’s degree? The best-paid job in this group with a typical entry requirement below a four-year degree was electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay, at a median of $103,020 (postsecondary nondegree award typically needed).
How to use this for a raise or a move
- Benchmark inside your field. Find your occupation in the tables and compare your pay with its median and with the 10th and 90th percentiles.
- Look one step over. The best-paid jobs in a group often use the same skills as the common ones. A certificate or license can move you up a row.
- Location matters. The state table shows how much the same kind of work pays in different places.
- Base pay only. OEWS wages exclude overtime, tips and most bonuses.
Published October 29, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original chart by JobPayRaise.com using BLS OEWS May 2025 data.
Comments (1)
One more data point: the state where installation, maintenance and repair jobs make up the largest share of local employment is Wyoming, with a location quotient of 1.58 (17,340 jobs at a group median of $61,550). A location quotient above 1 means the group is a bigger share of the state’s jobs than it is nationally. Source: BLS OEWS state data, May 2025; location quotients are explained in the BLS OEWS overview.
— JobPayRaise Data Desk