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Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · SOC 49-3053

0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$47,880
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
3,800
Proj. Annual Openings
36,060
Employment (OEWS 2025)
+1.9%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
100/100
AI Resiliency Score

AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.

Decision card

Career Evidence Passport

SOC 49-3053 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.

Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
SOC exposure
0.0%
Low · Anthropic AEI
Automation friction
57/100
Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
Wages
$47,880
No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
Projected openings
3,800
BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +2.5%.
Observed/proxy demand
FY— certified LCAs; 4,565 postings in 2025.

Skill evidence

Equipment MaintenanceRepairingTroubleshootingOperations MonitoringCritical Thinking

Transition context

  • H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
  • Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
  • Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
  • This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.

AI Exposure Analysis

AI Exposure0.0%
AI Resiliency100/100
Exposure BandLow
Sector Avg. Exposure1.6%

Across AI measures

Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.

20.1%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI17.9%
AI ability · AIOE42.3%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne93%

AI could do ~17.9% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.

Top Skills

1.Equipment Maintenance
2.Repairing
3.Troubleshooting
4.Operations Monitoring
5.Critical Thinking

H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand

View full H-1B trends →

No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.

O*NET occupation profile

What this work involves

Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul small engines used to power lawn mowers, chain saws, recreational sporting equipment, and related equipment.

Common titles: Chainsaw Technician, Golf Cart Mechanic, Lawnmower Repair Mechanic, Mechanic, Outdoor Power Equipment Service Technician, Service Technician (Service Tech)

Representative Tasks

  • Record repairs made, time spent, and parts used.
  • Test and inspect engines to determine malfunctions, to locate missing and broken parts, and to verify repairs, using diagnostic instruments.
  • Dismantle engines, using hand tools, and examine parts for defects.
  • Repair and maintain gasoline engines used to power equipment such as portable saws, lawn mowers, generators, and compressors.
  • Adjust points, valves, carburetors, distributors, and spark plug gaps, using feeler gauges.

Detailed Work Activities

  • Maintain repair or maintenance records.
  • Inspect mechanical components of vehicles to identify problems.
  • Test mechanical equipment to ensure proper functioning.
  • Adjust vehicle components according to specifications.
  • Disassemble equipment to inspect for deficiencies.

Tools & Technologies

Microsoft Excel · hotMicrosoft Office software · hotIdeal Computer Systems Ideal OPELand & Sea DYNO-MAXRepairTRAXSale processing softwareSmart Equipment RepairVersaDyne small engine test system

Employment Projections & AI Exposure

15
Occupations Shown
1.9%
Avg AI Exposure
4
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.

Employment & Wage Trend

BLS OEWS, 2019–2025


Occupation Employment & Wage TrendMulti-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 49-3053: 2019 — employment: 32,160, median wage: $36,100; 2020 — employment: 31,500, median wage: $37,530; 2021 — employment: 34,700, median wage: $37,540; 2022 — employment: 35,570, median wage: $40,030; 2023 — employment: 36,080, median wage: $44,140; 2025 — employment: 36,060, median wage: $47,880.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.

Sector Comparison

MetricThis CareerSector Average
AI Exposure0.0%1.6%
OutlookAverage24% Bright
Median Salary$47,880N/A
AI Resiliency100/100N/A