Data centers crash without chilled coils; airlines ground flights when avionics malfunction; power cuts loom if linemen aren’t ready to climb at 3 a.m. Installation, Maintenance & Repair (IMR) technicians are the backbone of uptime. Baby-boomer retirements are emptying tool belts faster than trade schools can fill them, creating wage premiums and sign-on bonuses.
Complete Occupational List (BLS OOH)
- Aircraft Body and Bonded Structure Repairers Career Guide
- Aircraft Engine Specialists Career Guide
- Airframe-and-Power-Plant Mechanics Career Guide
- Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) Servicers Career Guide
- Automotive Body and Related Repairers Career Guide
- Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers Career Guide
- Automotive Master Mechanics Career Guide
- Automotive Specialty Technicians Career Guide
- Avionics Technicians Career Guide
- Battery Repairers Career Guide
- Bicycle Repairers Career Guide
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists Career Guide
- Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers Career Guide
- Central Office and PBX Installers and Repairers Career Guide
- Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers Career Guide
- Commercial Divers Career Guide
- Communication Equipment Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers Career Guide
- Data Processing Equipment Repairers Career Guide
- Electric Home Appliance and Power Tool Repairers Career Guide
- Electric Meter Installers and Repairers Career Guide
- Electric Motor and Switch Assemblers and Repairers Career Guide
- Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment Career Guide
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment Career Guide
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay Career Guide
- Electrical Parts Reconditioners Career Guide
- Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers Career Guide
- Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles Career Guide
- Electronic Home Entertainment Equipment Installers and Repairers Career Guide
- Fabric Menders, Except Garment Career Guide
- Farm Equipment Mechanics Career Guide
- First-Line Supervisors Managers of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers Career Guide
- Frame Wirers, Central Office Career Guide
- Gas Appliance Repairers Career Guide
- Geothermal Technicians Career Guide
- Hand and Portable Power Tool Repairers Career Guide
- Heating and Air Conditioning Mechanics Career Guide
- Helpers Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers Career Guide
- Home Appliance Installers Career Guide
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics Career Guide
- Keyboard Instrument Repairers and Tuners Career Guide
- Locksmiths and Safe Repairers Career Guide
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Career Guide
- Maintenance Workers, Machinery Career Guide
- Manufactured Building and Mobile Home Installers Career Guide
- Mechanical Door Repairers Career Guide
- Medical Equipment Repairers Career Guide
- Meter Mechanics Career Guide
- Millwrights Career Guide
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines Career Guide
- Motorboat Mechanics Career Guide
- Motorcycle Mechanics Career Guide
- Office Machine and Cash Register Servicers Career Guide
- Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics Career Guide
- Percussion Instrument Repairers and Tuners Career Guide
- Radio Mechanics Career Guide
- Rail Car Repairers Career Guide
- Recreational Vehicle (RV) Service Technicians Career Guide
- Reed or Wind Instrument Repairers and Tuners Career Guide
- Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons Career Guide
- Refrigeration Mechanics Career Guide
- Riggers Career Guide
- Signal and Track Switch Repairers Career Guide
- Station Installers and Repairers, Telephone Career Guide
- Stringed Instrument Repairers and Tuners Career Guide
- Telecommunications Facility Examiners Career Guide
- Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Career Guide
- Tire Repairers and Changers Career Guide
- Transformer Repairers Career Guide
- Valve and Regulator Repairers Career Guide
- Watch Repairers Career Guide
- Wind Turbine Service Technicians Career Guide
Critical Skill Blocks
- Blueprint & Schematic Literacy: reading one-line diagrams, ladder logic, P&ID drawings.
- Diagnostics & Test Equipment: multimeters, oscilloscopes, thermal imagers, vibration analysis.
- Mechanical-Electrical Integration:mechatronics, servo drives, hydraulic circuits.
- Regulatory & Safety Mastery: NFPA 70E, EPA 608, OSHA, FAA Part 145.
- Documentation & CMMS:logging work orders in SAP, Maximo, or Fiix; root-cause analysis.
- Continuous Upskilling: new refrigerants, IoT sensors, EV powertrains.
Education & Credential Pathways
- 6-Month Certificates: Basic HVAC, Residential Electrician Helper.
- 2-Year Associate of Applied Science: Mechatronics, Aviation Maintenance, Industrial Electricity.
- Registered Apprenticeship (3–5 yrs): earn while learning; journeyman status; union or employer.
- Licenses & Certifications: EPA 608, NABCEP PV Installer, Airframe & Powerplant (A&P), Journeyman Electrician, CompTIA A+ for IT repair.
Technology & Future Trends
- Predictive Maintenance & IIoT: Vibration and thermography sensors stream data to AI dashboards flagging failures weeks in advance.
- Digital Twins & Building Automation: Technicians interface with BACnet/IP and virtual replicas for troubleshooting.
- Augmented Reality Manuals: AR glasses overlay step-by-step instructions, reducing cognitive load and error rates by 30 %.
- Electrification & EV Infrastructure: Electricians pivot to install Level 3 chargers; HVAC techs adopt heat-pump technology.
- Sustainability Retrofits: Low-GWP refrigerants, solar-thermal add-ons, smart grid tie-ins.
Work Settings & Lifestyle
Aircraft hangars, petrochemical refineries, wind-turbine nacelles 300 ft high, or data-center “white spaces” at 65 °F. Schedules vary: 4-day/10-hour shifts, rotating nights, on-call storm crews. Overtime during outages can swell annual pay by 25 %.
Career Ladders
Apprentice → Journeyman → Master Technician → Maintenance Supervisor → Reliability Engineer → Plant or Facility Manager → VP of Operations.
Entrepreneurial path: Master Electrician → Launch Electrical Contracting Firm → Design-Build Integration with Building Automation.
Outlook & Compensation
Median wage $46 k–$80 k; line installers, avionics, and wind-techs top the scale. BLS projects 4–6 % growth, but retirements produce a net talent gap > 300 000 positions. Relocation packages, tool allowances, and tuition reimbursement sweeten offers.
Are You a Born Troubleshooter?
Assess mechanical intuition, diagnostic patience, and hands-on drive with the Free MAPP Career Assessment before investing in trade school or purchasing $2,000 worth of specialty tools.
