General maintenance and repair workers keep buildings, machines and equipment working. They fix electrical switches and outlets, diagnose problems, do preventive maintenance, set up equipment, plan repairs from diagrams, order parts, estimate costs with clients and keep records. The work is physical and varied, which keeps exposure to generative AI low.
The short answer: low exposure, with steady growth. The ILO's 2025 index rates the closest groups at 0.27 for building caretakers (minimal exposure) and 0.17 for industrial machinery mechanics (not exposed). The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 4 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as average, with about 148,700 openings a year. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed maintenance workers are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Building Caretakers | Minimal exposure | 0.27 |
| Agricultural and Industrial Machinery Mechanics and Repairers | Not exposed | 0.17 |
The ILO scores groups of occupations, so these are the closest groups for general maintenance and repair workers, not a score for the job title itself.
The ILO index measures generative AI, not robots or automated machines.
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| General maintenance and repair workers | Grow 4% | About 148,700 |
The BLS says maintenance and repair workers will continue to be needed to improve and renovate homes and other buildings, including older buildings that need extensive upkeep. Most projected openings come from replacing workers who leave or retire.
Where AI is helping
- Drafting work orders, estimates and repair records.
- Looking up manuals and diagrams for a person to check.
- Scheduling preventive maintenance.
What stays with maintenance workers
- Diagnosis: finding what is actually wrong on site.
- Repairs: electrical, mechanical and building work by hand.
- Clients: explaining problems and costs to owners and tenants.
- Checking AI help: generated instructions can be wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
Older buildings and renovation keep demand steady, and the work stays hands-on. This page is general information, not career advice.
See also will AI replace facilities managers?, will AI replace electricians? and will AI replace HVAC technicians?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for general maintenance and repair workers at $49,590 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: high school diploma or equivalent. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace maintenance workers?
Not on current projections. The BLS projects 4 percent growth for general maintenance and repair workers from 2025 to 2035, with about 148,700 openings a year.
How exposed are maintenance workers to AI?
The closest ILO groups score 0.27 for building caretakers and 0.17 for industrial machinery mechanics, both low.
What drives demand?
The BLS points to improving and renovating homes and other buildings, including older buildings that need extensive upkeep.
What do maintenance workers do?
They maintain and repair machines, equipment and buildings, fix electrical parts, do preventive maintenance and keep records.