Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Onet SOC Code 49-9042.00 Career Description: Perform work involving the skills of two or more maintenance or craft occupations to keep machines, mechanical equipment, or the structure of an establishment in repair. Duties may involve pipe fitting; boiler making; insulating; welding; machining; carpentry; repairing electrical or mechanical equipment; installing, aligning, and balancing new equipment; and repairing buildings, floors, or stairs. Related Clusters: Architecture and Construction Marketing, Sales & Service

Career Summary:

• Paint and repair roofs, windows, doors, floors, woodwork, plaster, drywall, and other parts of building structures.
• Operate cutting torches or welding equipment to cut or join metal parts.
• Align and balance new equipment after installation.
• Inspect used parts to determine changes in dimensional requirements, using rules, calipers, micrometers, and other measuring instruments.
• Set up and operate machine tools to repair or fabricate machine parts, jigs and fixtures, and tools.
• Maintain and repair specialized equipment and machinery found in cafeterias, laundries, hospitals, stores, offices, and factories.
• Fabricate and repair counters, benches, partitions, and other wooden structures such as sheds and outbuildings.
• Estimate repair costs.
• Lay brick to repair and maintain buildings, walls, arches and other structures.
• Grind and reseat valves, using valve-grinding machines.
• Repair or replace defective equipment parts using hand tools and power tools, and reassemble equipment.
• Perform routine preventive maintenance to ensure that machines continue to run smoothly, building systems operate efficiently, and the physical condition of buildings does not deteriorate.
• Inspect drives, motors, and belts, check fluid levels, replace filters, and perform other maintenance actions, following checklists.
• Use tools ranging from common hand and power tools, such as hammers, hoists, saws, drills, and wrenches, to precision measuring instruments and electrical and electronic testing devices.
• Assemble, install and/or repair wiring, electrical and electronic components, pipe systems and plumbing, machinery, and equipment.
• Diagnose mechanical problems and determine how to correct them, checking blueprints, repair manuals, and parts catalogs as necessary.
• Inspect, operate, and test machinery and equipment in order to diagnose machine malfunctions.
• Record maintenance and repair work performed and the costs of the work.
• Clean and lubricate shafts, bearings, gears, and other parts of machinery.
• Dismantle devices to gain access to and remove defective parts, using hoists, cranes, hand tools, and power tools.
• Plan and lay out repair work using diagrams, drawings, blueprints, maintenance manuals, and schematic diagrams.
• Order parts, supplies, and equipment from catalogs and suppliers, or obtain them from storerooms.
• Adjust functional parts of devices and control instruments, using hand tools, levels, plumb bobs, and straightedges.

• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

• Graduation from high school is preferred for entry into this occupation. High school courses in mechanical drawing, electricity, woodworking, blueprint reading, science, mathematics, and computers are useful. Mechanical aptitude, the ability to use shop mathematics, and manual dexterity are also important. Because a growing number of new buildings rely on computers to control various of their systems, general maintenance and repair workers may need basic computer skills, such as how to log onto a central computer system and navigate through a series of menus. Usually, companies that install computer-controlled equipment provide on-site training for general maintenance and repair workers. For related information and recommended courses to prepare for this occupation, Tennessee high school students may visit the Trade and Industrial Education Standards, Competency Profiles, and Resource Links online.

• Equipment Maintenance - Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

• Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
• Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Extent Flexibility - The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

• Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment - Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.

• Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Second Interest High-Point - Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness

• Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
• Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
• Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
• Self Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
• Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
• Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
• Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
• Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
• Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
• Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
• Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
• Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
• Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
• Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
• Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.

• Moral Values - Workers on this job are never pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
• Activity - Workers on this job are busy all the time.
• Independence - Workers on this job do their work alone.
• Company Policies and Practices - Workers on this job are treated fairly by the company.
• Supervision, Human Relations - Workers on this job have supervisors who back up their workers with management.
• Variety - Workers on this job have something different to do every day.
• Support-Mean Extent - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
• Security - Workers on this job have steady employment.
• Working Conditions-Mean Extent - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
• Ability Utilization - Workers on this job make use of their individual abilities.
• Supervision, Technical - Workers on this job have supervisors who train their workers well.

Wage and salary data provided by:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics, Tennessee Department of Labor website
• TN Department of Labor & Workforce Development website
• Bureau of Economic Analysis website