2027 Salary Guide · Skilled Trades
More than 1.6 million people work in the BLS occupation used for maintenance technicians, General Maintenance and Repair Workers, and their median pay was $49,590 in May 2025, or $23.84 an hour. The 2027 planning median is about $52,500. One figure covers apartment and office building maintenance as well as factory equipment repair, so the setting matters as much as the title.
Outlook
BLS projects average growth (3% to 4%) through 2035, but about 148,700 openings a year because the occupation is so large. With growth that modest, most openings come from people leaving the occupation rather than new positions.
BLS Employment Projections via O*NET OnLine. Projections cover Maintenance and Repair Workers, General as a whole.
Where the work is
BLS reports these as the largest employers of general maintenance and repair workers. The work, schedule and skills differ a lot between them.
Apartment and commercial building maintenance: unit turns, plumbing and electrical repairs, appliances and grounds. On-call duty for tenant emergencies is common.
Keeping production equipment running: drives, motors, belts, hydraulics and controls. O*NET lists Industrial Maintenance Repairer as a registered apprenticeship title.
Public buildings, parks, utilities and facilities, often with defined schedules and set pay scales.
Accommodation and food services and educational services each employ 8%. Guest-facing and campus work, often across many buildings.
Pay distribution
The range is narrow for a skilled trade: the 10th percentile earned $35,350 and the 90th $77,180, a spread of about $41,830. Licensed electrical, HVAC or controls work is the most common route toward the top.
Typical for the Maintenance Technician title: $40,840 to $62,620 (25th to 75th percentile of Maintenance and Repair Workers, General)
| Percentile | BLS, May 2025 | 2027 planning estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,350 | $37,500 |
| 25th percentile | $40,840 | $43,500 |
| Median | $49,590 | $52,500 |
| 75th percentile | $62,620 | $66,500 |
| 90th percentile | $77,180 | $82,000 |
Hourly pay ladder
BLS does not report pay by experience. These stages map common maintenance roles onto the BLS hourly percentiles as a planning guide.
About $17.00 to $19.64 an hour (10th to 25th percentile)
BLS says most workers need a high school diploma and learn on the job or through apprenticeships or training programs. Routine preventive maintenance, filters, fluids and basic repairs.
About $19.64 to $30.10 an hour (25th to 75th percentile)
Diagnoses and repairs mechanical, electrical and plumbing problems independently and keeps records in a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), which O*NET lists among the occupation's tools.
About $30.10 to $37.11+ an hour (75th to 90th percentile)
Leads a crew, holds a trade license, or works on plant controls such as PLC and SCADA systems. BLS notes that complex tasks may require a license in a specialty like electrical or plumbing work.
Local pay
The New York metro is by far the largest market, with 108,700 workers and a median of $59,550. The San Francisco Bay Area pays the most at $63,630, and Seattle and Minneapolis-St. Paul are above $60,000. Tampa is lowest at $46,020, only about $17,610 below the Bay Area, a smaller metro gap than electricians or HVAC technicians show in this guide.
| Metro area | Median | 10th – 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Bay Area | $63,630 +28% | $45,970 – $98,140 | 18,550 |
| Seattle | $60,760 +23% | $45,610 – $87,840 | 17,790 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | $60,470 +22% | $40,010 – $79,500 | 18,090 |
| Boston | $59,670 +20% | $39,630 – $80,920 | 21,030 |
| New York City | $59,550 +20% | $37,400 – $88,050 | 108,700 |
| Portland | $58,760 +18% | $41,720 – $83,430 | 8,860 |
| Hartford | $58,670 +18% | $38,110 – $87,770 | 4,020 |
| Chicago | $58,020 +17% | $36,870 – $82,320 | 45,710 |
| Washington, DC | $57,240 +15% | $37,890 – $80,520 | 23,100 |
| Los Angeles | $56,520 +14% | $38,510 – $79,360 | 47,890 |
| Metro area | Median | 10th – 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | $54,530 +10% | $38,060 – $79,520 | 12,350 |
| Denver | $52,450 +6% | $40,590 – $77,170 | 11,510 |
| Baltimore | $52,100 +5% | $35,820 – $75,480 | 11,250 |
| Charlotte | $51,000 +3% | $36,640 – $75,650 | 11,460 |
| Providence | $50,690 +2% | $36,440 – $75,630 | 6,370 |
| Buffalo | $50,620 +2% | $37,470 – $74,490 | 5,980 |
| Philadelphia | $50,200 +1% | $36,530 – $77,290 | 22,470 |
| Raleigh | $49,870 +1% | $36,550 – $72,830 | 6,330 |
| Atlanta | $49,630 +0% | $35,600 – $75,050 | 25,190 |
| Albany | $49,490 +-0% | $37,310 – $75,840 | 4,970 |
| Pittsburgh | $49,250 -1% | $34,270 – $74,960 | 10,330 |
| Phoenix | $48,930 -1% | $36,610 – $78,300 | 26,350 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | $48,860 -1% | $35,060 – $76,070 | 39,740 |
| Nashville | $48,780 -2% | $36,400 – $68,540 | 11,040 |
| Austin | $48,730 -2% | $35,290 – $74,380 | 12,430 |
| Detroit | $48,380 -2% | $36,770 – $72,270 | 16,190 |
| Houston | $46,710 -6% | $31,620 – $76,210 | 32,050 |
| Miami | $46,290 -7% | $35,210 – $72,620 | 31,890 |
| Tampa | $46,020 -7% | $33,280 – $66,360 | 14,380 |
BLS metro estimates, May 2025. Percent compares the metro median with the national median. "Jobs" is BLS estimated employment in the metro; blank where BLS does not publish it.
For hiring managers
Say whether the job is property, facility or production maintenance. Candidates and pay expectations differ, even though BLS reports them together.
BLS notes maintenance workers may need to be on call evenings and weekends for emergency repairs. State how often and how it is paid.
Licensing requirements vary by state and locality. If the role includes electrical, plumbing or refrigerant work, say which license or certification is needed.
Most maintenance candidates compare jobs by hourly rate. Price against the metro: the Bay Area median is about $14,040 a year above the national figure.
Compare
HVAC technicians earn about $11,420 more than general maintenance technicians at the median, and electricians about $13,600 more. Facilities managers, who often supervise maintenance teams, earn about $106,660.
| Role | BLS median | 2027 estimate | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance Technician | $49,590 | $52,500 | Average |
| HVAC Technician | $61,010 | $65,000 | Much faster than average |
| Electrician | $63,190 | $67,000 | Much faster than average |
| Plumber | $63,800 | $68,000 | Much faster than average |
| Facilities Manager | $106,660 | $113,500 | Faster than average |
FAQ
General maintenance and repair workers, the BLS occupation used for maintenance technicians, earned a median of $49,590 in May 2025, or $23.84 an hour. The middle half earned between $40,840 and $62,620. Adding two years of wage growth at 3.1% gives a 2027 planning median of about $52,500.
Maintenance techs earned a $23.84 hourly median in May 2025, BLS reports. The 10th percentile was $17.00, the 25th $19.64, the 75th $30.10 and the 90th $37.11. Overtime is not included in these figures, and rates are higher in the Bay Area, Seattle and Minneapolis-St. Paul.
BLS does not split the occupation by setting, so there is no official figure for each. Both are counted as general maintenance and repair workers. Technicians who handle production equipment, electrical systems or plant controls tend to sit higher in the range, toward the 75th percentile of $30.10 an hour, than those doing routine building upkeep.
Not usually for general work. BLS says workers typically need a high school diploma and learn on the job. For more complex tasks, workers may need to be licensed or certified in a specialty such as electrical or plumbing work, and requirements vary by state and locality.
It is one of the most available. BLS projects about 148,700 openings a year through 2035 for an occupation of about 1.6 million workers, and most people start with a high school diploma and on-the-job training. Pay is modest, with a $49,590 median, but adding licensed trade skills moves technicians toward the top of the range.
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