Maintenance and Repair Workers, General

Also called: Airport Attendant, Apartment Maintenance Worker, Bench Repair Technician, Building Engineer, Building Maintenance Engineer

Varies

estimated salary

Maintenance and repair workers for general jobs perform work involving the skills of two or more maintenance or craft occupations to keep machines, mechanical equipment, or the structure of a building in repair. Duties may involve pipe fitting; HVAC maintenance; insulating; welding; machining; carpentry; repairing electrical or mechanical equipment; installing, aligning, and balancing new equipment; and repairing buildings, floors, or stairs.

  • Inspect, operate, or test machinery or equipment to diagnose machine malfunctions.
  • Dismantle machines, equipment, or devices to access and remove defective parts, using hoists, cranes, hand tools, or power tools.
  • Perform routine maintenance, such as inspecting drives, motors, or belts, checking fluid levels, replacing filters, or doing other preventive maintenance actions.
  • Diagnose mechanical problems and determine how to correct them, checking blueprints, repair manuals, or parts catalogs, as necessary.
  • Repair machines, equipment, or structures, using tools such as hammers, hoists, saws, drills, wrenches, or equipment such as precision measuring instruments or electrical or electronic testing devices.
  • Maintain or repair specialized equipment or machinery located in cafeterias, laundries, hospitals, stores, offices, or factories.
  • Assemble, install, or repair wiring, electrical or electronic components, pipe systems, plumbing, machinery, or equipment.
  • Clean or lubricate shafts, bearings, gears, or other parts of machinery.
  • Adjust functional parts of devices or control instruments, using hand tools, levels, plumb bobs, or straightedges.
  • Order parts, supplies, or equipment from catalogs or suppliers.
  • Plan and lay out repair work, using diagrams, drawings, blueprints, maintenance manuals, or schematic diagrams.
  • Perform general cleaning of buildings or properties.
  • Paint or repair roofs, windows, doors, floors, woodwork, plaster, drywall, or other parts of building structures.
  • Operate cutting torches or welding equipment to cut or join metal parts.
  • Record type and cost of maintenance or repair work.
  • Assemble boilers at installation sites, using tools such as levels, plumb bobs, hammers, torches, or other hand tools.
  • Test and treat water supply.
  • Perform routine maintenance on boilers, such as replacing burners or hoses, installing replacement parts, or reinforcing structural weaknesses to ensure optimal boiler efficiency.
  • Install equipment to improve the energy or operational efficiency of residential or commercial buildings.
  • Set up and operate machine tools to repair or fabricate machine parts, jigs, fixtures, or tools.
  • Train or manage maintenance personnel or subcontractors.
  • Align and balance new equipment after installation.
  • Provide groundskeeping services, such as landscaping or snow removal.
  • Inspect used parts to determine changes in dimensional requirements, using rules, calipers, micrometers, or other measuring instruments.
  • Fabricate or repair counters, benches, partitions, or other wooden structures, such as sheds or outbuildings.
  • Position, attach, or blow insulating materials to prevent energy losses from buildings, pipes, or other structures or objects.
  • Estimate costs to repair machinery, equipment, or building structures.
  • Grind and reseat valves, using valve-grinding machines.
  • Design new equipment to aid in the repair or maintenance of machines, mechanical equipment, or building structures.
  • Lay brick to repair or maintain buildings, walls, arches, or other structures.
Work Context

Work Context information for this career will be available soon.

Work Activities
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
  • Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
  • Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment — Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
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Detailed Work Activities
  • Assemble mechanical components or machine parts.
  • Install energy-efficient heating, ventilation, or air conditioning (HVAC) equipment.
  • Install machine or equipment replacement parts.
  • Maintain work equipment or machinery.
  • Install insulation in equipment or structures.
  • Test fluids to identify contamination or other problems.
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Knowledge

Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
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Skills

Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Equipment Maintenance
  • Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Troubleshooting
  • Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Operation Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
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Abilities

Manual Dexterity
  • The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Near Vision
  • The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Problem Sensitivity
  • The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
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Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Persistence
  • Initiative
  • Leadership
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Social Orientation
  • Self Control
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Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Operating system software
  • Apple macOS Hot Technology
  • Microsoft Windows Hot Technology
  • Linux Hot Technology
  • Handheld computer device software
Spreadsheet software
  • Microsoft Excel Hot Technology
Electronic mail software
  • Microsoft Exchange Hot Technology
  • Microsoft Outlook Hot Technology
  • IBM Notes Hot Technology
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