Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · SOC 49-9098
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 49-9098 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 57/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $39,630
- H-1B offered wage $90,000; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 15,100
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +2.3%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 1
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 20,284 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
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
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: HVAC Helper (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning Helper), HVAC Installation Helper (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning Installation Helper), Maintenance Aide, Maintenance Helper, Mechanic Helper, Mechanic Repair Helper
Representative Tasks
- •Install or replace machinery, equipment, and new or replacement parts and instruments, using hand or power tools.
- •Examine and test machinery, equipment, components, and parts for defects to ensure proper functioning.
- •Tend and observe equipment and machinery to verify efficient and safe operation.
- •Adjust, connect, or disconnect wiring, piping, tubing, and other parts, using hand or power tools.
- •Clean or lubricate vehicles, machinery, equipment, instruments, tools, work areas, and other objects, using hand tools, power tools, and cleaning equipment.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Inspect mechanical equipment to locate damage, defects, or wear.
- •Install machine or equipment replacement parts.
- •Test mechanical equipment to ensure proper functioning.
- •Connect electrical components or equipment.
- •Connect hoses to equipment or piping.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 1.6% |
| Outlook | Bright ↗ | 24% Bright |
| Median Salary | $39,630 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |