SOC 49-9031.00

    Home Appliance Repairers

    Repair, adjust, or install all types of electric or gas household appliances, such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, and ovens.

    Median pay
    $50,990
    Growth
    +1.9%
    Slower than average
    Openings a year
    2,800
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $36,190
    Median
    $50,990
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $80,660
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    32,150 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Home appliance repairers install, adjust, and fix gas and electric household appliances like refrigerators, washers, and ovens. This hands-on career offers a median annual pay of $50,990, with top earners making over $80,660.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What home appliance repairers do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    Repair, adjust, or install all types of electric or gas household appliances, such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, and ovens.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    What the work is like

    People in this career spend their days working directly with the public to fix and maintain household equipment. They use mechanical and electronic knowledge to troubleshoot issues, make decisions, and repair appliances such as dryers, ovens, and air conditioners. The daily routine involves operating vehicles to travel to job sites, gathering information from customers, and handling physical objects to complete repairs.

    Success in this field requires strong realistic interests, meaning a preference for hands-on, practical work. Repairers must use critical thinking, active listening, and speaking skills to communicate with clients outside their organization. They need to be dependable, cautious, and highly attentive to detail to ensure safety and quality control. Managing stress and showing perseverance are also important when solving complex mechanical problems.

    How to get there

    Entering this field typically requires a high school diploma. Most workers prepare through some on-the-job training or prior experience. Students interested in this career often pursue college majors in electrical and electronics maintenance and repair technologies.

    While entering the field is straightforward, professionals can earn various certifications to demonstrate their expertise. Available credentials include the Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician, the Certified National Appliance Service Technician in laundry and dishwashing or as a universal technician, and the Universal R-410A Certification. For handling refrigerants, workers can obtain the EPA Section 608 Certification. Additionally, some states list specific licensing requirements for this type of work.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for home appliance repairers is $50,990. Earnings vary based on experience and location, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $36,190 and the highest 10 percent earning more than $80,660.

    There are 32,150 people employed in this occupation. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to grow by 1.9 percent, which is slower than the average for all occupations. Despite this slow growth rate, about 2,800 job openings are projected to become available each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    100 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    22 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    3 / 100
    Social (S)
    10 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    6 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    64 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCI. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
    78
    Getting Information
    77
    Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
    77
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    77
    Handling and Moving Objects
    76
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    75
    Performing General Physical Activities
    70
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    69
    Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
    65
    Communicating with People Outside the Organization
    64
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Repairing
    • Critical Thinking
    • Equipment Maintenance
    • Troubleshooting
    • Operations Monitoring
    • Quality Control Analysis
    • Speaking
    • Active Listening
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Reading Comprehension

    Knowledge

    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Mechanical
    • English Language
    • Administration and Management
    • Administrative
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Sales and Marketing
    • Engineering and Technology
    • Mathematics
    • Education and Training

    Abilities

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Finger Dexterity
    • Manual Dexterity
    • Near Vision
    • Oral Expression
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Extent Flexibility
    • Information Ordering
    • Visualization

    Work styles

    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail
    • Cautiousness
    • Integrity
    • Perseverance
    • Self-Control
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Sincerity
    • Adaptability

    Also called

    Air-Conditioner Window Unit Installer (AC Window Unit Installer) · Air-Conditioner Window Unit Servicer (AC Window Unit Servicer) · Appliance Adjuster · Appliance Advisor · Appliance Installer · Appliance Mechanic · Appliance Repair Mechanic · Appliance Repair Service Consultant · Appliance Repair Technician (Appliance Repair Tech) · Appliance Repairer

    Career pathway

    From your interests to home appliance repairers

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Home Appliance Repairers$50,990 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1
      Bunker Hill Community College

      Boston, MA · Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Associate

      1 yr after
      $126,485
      4 yrs after
      $136,013
      Median debt
      Not reported
    2. 2Western Wyoming Community College logo
      Western Wyoming Community College

      Rock Springs, WY · Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Associate

      1 yr after
      $85,961
      4 yrs after
      $120,646
      Median debt
      Not reported
    3. 3
      New River Community College-Virginia

      Dublin, VA · Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Associate

      1 yr after
      $74,804
      4 yrs after
      $84,571
      Median debt
      Not reported
    4. 4Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology logo
      Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology

      Lancaster, PA · Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Associate

      1 yr after
      $67,236
      4 yrs after
      $80,864
      Median debt
      $11,000
    5. 5Ranken Technical College logo
      Ranken Technical College

      Saint Louis, MO · Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Associate

      1 yr after
      $59,880
      4 yrs after
      $77,127
      Median debt
      $12,000
    6. 6
      Shelton State Community College

      Tuscaloosa, AL · Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Associate

      1 yr after
      $84,004
      4 yrs after
      $74,695
      Median debt
      Not reported
    7. 7Lurleen B Wallace Community College logo
      Lurleen B Wallace Community College

      Andalusia, AL · Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Associate

      1 yr after
      $47,234
      4 yrs after
      $71,895
      Median debt
      Not reported
    8. 8Northwest Iowa Community College logo
      Northwest Iowa Community College

      Sheldon, IA · Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Associate

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $66,319
      Median debt
      Not reported

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What home appliance repairers may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Appliance Installation and Repair Technology/Technician

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    3 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about home appliance repairers

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some alternative job titles for this career?

    Workers in this field are also known as appliance repair technicians, appliance mechanics, appliance installers, and air-conditioner window unit servicers.

    What certifications can an appliance repairer earn?

    Repairers can earn credentials such as the Certified National Appliance Service Technician, the Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician, and the EPA Section 608 Certification for refrigerant handling.

    Is a college degree required to work in this field?

    No, a college degree is not typically required. A high school diploma is the standard entry education, though some people study electrical and electronics maintenance in college.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    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. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.