Mostly Resilient
Last Update: 5/19/2026
AI Resilience Score for Maintenance and Repair Worker:
62.5%
Median Score
Meaningful human contribution
Measures the parts of the occupation that still require a human touch. This score averages data from up to four AI exposure datasets, focusing on the role’s resilience against automation.
High
Long-term employer demand
Predicts the health of the job market for this role through 2034. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it balances projected annual job openings (60%) with overall employment growth (40%).
High
Sustained economic opportunity
Measures future earning potential and career flexibility. This score is a blend of total projected labor income (67%) and the role’s inherent ability to adapt to economic and technological shifts (33%).
Low
This reflects the reliability of your score based on the number of data sources available for this career and how closely those sources agree on the outlook. A higher confidence means more consistent evidence from labor experts and AI models.
Most data sources align, with only minor variation. This is a well-supported result.
Contributing sources
AI Resilience Report forMaintenance and Repair Workers, General
$48,620 median salary•159,800 annual openings•SOC Code: 49-9071.00
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General are somewhat more resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 6 sources.
Maintenance and repair work is "Mostly Resilient" because the hands-on, physical core of the job — climbing into mechanical rooms, diagnosing problems in person, and fixing equipment with your hands — still requires a real human being, and that's not changing anytime soon. AI is stepping in to handle the paperwork side of things, like scheduling, work orders, and predicting when a machine might break down, but those tools are designed to *help* technicians work smarter, not replace them.
Learn more about how you can thrive in this position
Learn more about how you can thrive in this position
This role is mostly resilient
Maintenance and repair work is "Mostly Resilient" because the hands-on, physical core of the job — climbing into mechanical rooms, diagnosing problems in person, and fixing equipment with your hands — still requires a real human being, and that's not changing anytime soon. AI is stepping in to handle the paperwork side of things, like scheduling, work orders, and predicting when a machine might break down, but those tools are designed to *help* technicians work smarter, not replace them.
Read full analysisAnalysis of Current AI Resilience
Maintenance and Repair Worker
Updated Quarterly

How is AI changing Maintenance and Repair Worker jobs?
If you're worried that robots are about to take over building maintenance, take a breath — the picture in 2026 looks much more like teamwork than replacement. The Building Service Contractors Association International argues that AI isn't here to take the place of the people who clean buildings, care for spaces, and show up night after night — it's here to support an industry under real pressure that needs better tools, clearer insight, and more humane systems, an idea echoed at the 2025 BSCAI Contracting Success Conference [1]. Most current AI tools focus on the paperwork and planning parts of the job rather than the wrench-turning.
At the Mechanical Contractors Association of America's 2026 MEP Innovation Conference [2], breakout sessions focused on connecting field and fabrication data, and applying AI to automate routine tasks such as estimating, document review, and reporting. Predictive-maintenance software, AI-powered CMMS platforms, and augmented-reality headsets are increasingly used to flag failing motors and walk technicians through repair steps, and Plant Services' top stories for early 2026 [3] revolved around digital maintenance transformation and asset health. But hands-on tasks — dismantling machines, welding, climbing into mechanical rooms — still require humans, which is why Manufacturing Dive reports [4] that traditional assembly roles are declining while demand is growing for technicians who can work with robotics, maintain advanced equipment and use data to keep production running smoothly.
Sources

How fast is AI adoption growing for Maintenance and Repair Worker?
Adoption is moving faster on the "office" side of maintenance (work orders, scheduling, parts ordering, diagnostics) and slower on the physical side. A huge driver is the labor shortage: one BSCAI panelist warned that "we're not going to have enough workers to do the job in the next 20 years. AI is the least of our problems.
It's a resource we're going to need". The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics [5] still projects employment of general maintenance and repair workers to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations, with about 159,800 openings projected each year — meaning demand for human technicians remains strong. Costs and trust are slowing things down: BSCAI leaders caution "Don't trust it.
Trust but verify… at least 50% of what we get back is not entirely true", and many small contractors can't afford big sensor rollouts. The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report [6] notes that employers expect 39% of key skills required in the job market will change by 2030, so the smartest move for young people entering this field is learning to read sensor data, use AI work-order tools, and keep the diagnostic skills that machines still can't replicate.
Sources

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More Career Info
Career: Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
They fix and maintain machines, equipment, and buildings to keep everything working smoothly and safely.
Parent Careers
Employment & Wage Data
Median Wage
$48,620
Jobs (2024)
1,629,700
Growth (2024-34)
+3.8%
Annual Openings
159,800
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024-2034
Task-Level AI Resilience Scores
AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years
1
Operate cutting torches or welding equipment to cut or join metal parts.
2
Lay brick to repair or maintain buildings, walls, arches, or other structures.
3
Grind and reseat valves, using valve-grinding machines.
4
Install equipment to improve the energy or operational efficiency of residential or commercial buildings.
5
Assemble, install, or repair wiring, electrical or electronic components, pipe systems, plumbing, machinery, or equipment.
6
Paint or repair roofs, windows, doors, floors, woodwork, plaster, drywall, or other parts of building structures.
7
Dismantle machines, equipment, or devices to access and remove defective parts, using hoists, cranes, hand tools, or power tools.
Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.
