Maintenance Helper
R1-01R1 Facilities maintenance · Start level · O*NET 49-9098.00
- Texas median
whole occupation, 2025 - $37,000
- work over
40 h a week - 29%
- load index
from O*NET data - 3.2/5
- Texas jobs
2024 to 2034 - +9.3%
Pay
This level's pay
No published pay record names this level: no public record found in sources S1-S7 that names this rung. The occupation-wide figure below is for all experience levels.
Whole occupation: all Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, Texas BLS OEWS May 2025
- Series OEUS480000000000049909813 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
- Based on an estimated 16,610 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000049909801).
BLS OEWS May 2025
- Series OEUS480000000000049909813 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
- Based on an estimated 16,610 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000049909801).
Outlook 2024 to 2034, all Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, not level-specific TWC, BLS
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
TWC, BLS
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
- Texas
- +9.3% jobs · about 1,810 openings a year (13,860 jobs in 2024)
- United States
- +2.3% jobs · about 11,800 openings a year (98,700 jobs in 2024)
Openings include people retiring or changing jobs, not only growth.
Hours O*NET 31.0
- Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 08/2020, n = 31 respondents, O*NET OnLine
O*NET 31.0
- Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 08/2020, n = 31 respondents, O*NET OnLine
Schedule: regular 58% · irregular 40% · seasonal 3%
Physical load 3.2 of 5, our index from O*NET Method
- Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (2.98, 6 measures) and an exposure index (3.48, 7 measures), built from O*NET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
- O*NET OnLine
Method
- Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (2.98, 6 measures) and an exposure index (3.48, 7 measures), built from O*NET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
- O*NET OnLine
Body
- Standing3.99
- Walking or running3.44
- Bending or twisting3.13
- Kneeling or crawling2.66
- Climbing ladders2.38
- Keeping balance2.27
Exposure
- Outdoors, all weather3.94
- Very hot or cold3.87
- Hazardous equipment3.73
- Hazardous conditions3.3
- High places3.23
- Cramped space3.16
- Protective gear3.12
Getting in
- License
- No Texas license for in-house maintenance: electrician (1305.003(a)(8)) and plumbing (1301.053(a)(1)) laws exempt maintenance staff who do not work for the public. Refrigerant work needs EPA 608.
- Degree
- 0% hold a bachelor's or higher; most common: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Experience
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years of related experience is the most common answer (35% of workers).
O*NET
- O*NET Related Work Experience, Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, O*NET OnLine
- Preparation
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Why this level
- Start: Title contains 'Helper' (apprentice/helper/trainee level in O*NET and DOL apprenticeship titles). Rung 1 of 6 on 'Facilities maintenance'.
Next stop R1 Facilities Technician +$9,670 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
Gates checked: No degree or experience gate in O*NET 31.0. No state license for in-house maintenance (1305.003(a)(8)); electrical work beyond that needs a TDLR license.
Moves to the side 7
- B1 Electrical Apprentice O*NET lists Helpers--Electricians as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.89. License gate: Electrical Apprentice (TDLR).
- B Plumber Helper O*NET lists Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.84. License gate: Plumber's Apprentice registration (TSBPE).
- R Millwright O*NET lists Millwrights as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.89.
- R Maintenance Mechanic O*NET lists Maintenance Workers, Machinery as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.80.
What the work is 6 core tasks
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.
- 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.
- Hold or supply tools, parts, equipment, and supplies for other workers.
Core tasks ranked by O*NET task Importance (IM, 1-5), top 6.
Top skills
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Equipment Maintenance
- Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Operations Monitoring
- Repairing
- Troubleshooting
Sources (4)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, Texas, series OEUS480000000000049909813, read 2026-10-03
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), 49-9098.00 Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, read 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Engineer Tsai has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 · O*NET license
Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Base pay; excludes overtime. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034 (United States) and Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections 2024-2034, read through Projections Central.
