Maintenance Helpers
Overview
Maintenance helpers work alongside skilled technicians to keep machines, vehicles, and equipment running smoothly. You'll supply tools and materials, test equipment for problems, and help with basic repairs using both hand tools and power tools. This hands-on job teaches you valuable technical skills while working as part of a team in workshops, factories, or service centers. It's a great entry point into skilled trades that can lead to becoming a certified technician or mechanic.
Did you know?
This occupation requires physical stamina and adherence to strict OSHA safety protocols, as workers frequently lift heavy materials, work in confined spaces, and use power tools.
At a Glance
Median Wage
$39,837 Avg/yr
Growth
Stable
Top Skill
Social Perceptiveness
Key Responsibilities
- Disassemble broken or defective equipment to facilitate repair and reassemble equipment when repairs are complete.
- Position vehicles, machinery, equipment, physical structures, and other objects for assembly or installation, using hand tools, power tools, and moving equipment.
- Apply protective materials to equipment, components, and parts to prevent defects and corrosion.
- Diagnose electrical problems and install and rewire electrical components.
- Examine and test machinery, equipment, components, and parts for defects to ensure proper functioning.
- Clean or lubricate vehicles, machinery, equipment, instruments, tools, work areas, and other objects, using hand tools, power tools, and cleaning equipment.
- Tend and observe equipment and machinery to verify efficient and safe operation.
- Hold or supply tools, parts, equipment, and supplies for other workers.
- Install or replace machinery, equipment, and new or replacement parts and instruments, using hand or power tools.
- Prepare work stations for use by mechanics and repairers.
- Assemble and maintain physical structures, using hand or power tools.
- Transfer tools, parts, equipment, and supplies to and from work stations and other areas.
- Adjust, connect, or disconnect wiring, piping, tubing, and other parts, using hand or power tools.
- Design, weld, and fabricate parts, using blueprints or other mechanical plans.
- Order new parts to maintain inventory.
- Adjust, maintain, and repair tools, equipment, and machines, and assist more skilled workers with similar tasks.
Career Considerations
Physical Demands and Safety Requirements
This occupation requires physical stamina and adherence to strict OSHA safety protocols, as workers frequently lift heavy materials, work in confined spaces, and use power tools.
Career Advancement Pathways
Helper positions typically serve as entry points to skilled trades, with opportunities to advance to journeyman or technician roles through apprenticeships and on-the-job training.
Training and Certification Needs
While formal education requirements are minimal, obtaining industry-specific certifications and completing vocational training programs significantly enhance employment prospects and earning potential.