What does a handyman do?

A handyman can perform various repair and maintenance tasks involving electricity, carpentry, plumbing, and even appliance installation. Most handymen work independently, but they can also choose to be part of a company. Furthermore, a handyman must also discuss the extent of repairs to clients, even sharing insights on maintaining facilities in good condition. There are instances when a handyman may be required to work in a group setting, which requires an active line of communication and coordination.
Handyman responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real handyman resumes:
- Train and manage new cooks and dishwashers and achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
- Erect scaffolding and ladders for assembling structures above grind level.
- Fabricaty office buildings by drywall, painting, electrical, roofing and demolition.
- Perform residential/commercial handyman services, including carpentry, remodeling, installations, minor plumbing, masonry and tile work.
- Perform a variety of lawn care and home repairs, mowing, weeding, trimming, clearing, and debris removal.
- Erect scaffolding, shoring and braces.
- Construct forms and chutes for demolition projects.
- Build scaffolding to access all areas of station.
- Build decks and remodel houses for vacation/rental houses.
- Install doors, frames, Sheetrock and general hardware.
- Paint, guttering, trim, Sheetrock repair and replacement.
- Repair and routine maintenance of electrical, plumbing and A/C systems.
- Apply infection control rules and regulations, fire safety, life safety, and OSHA training.
- Repair and replace light fixtures, dimmer switches, outlets, ceiling fans and air conditioners.
- Used hand or power tools such as mowers, hand tools, blowers, edgers, weedwhackers.
Handyman skills and personality traits
We calculated that 24% of Handymen are proficient in Plumbing, Customer Service, and Drywall Repair. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Dexterity, and Troubleshooting skills.
We break down the percentage of Handymen that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Plumbing, 24%
Performed general repairs including interior and exterior plumbing, carpentry, electrical, landscaping, assembly
- Customer Service, 17%
Earned a reputation as a trusted, extremely competent Carpenter/Handyman exhibiting an excellent finished product with excellent customer service skills.
- Drywall Repair, 9%
Assisted with construction for a family business including erecting walls, painting, drywall repair, and operating different power tools.
- HVAC, 4%
Completed residential and commercial projects including painting, electrical, HVAC installation, and furniture repair/refinish.
- General Maintenance, 4%
Performed any necessary general repairs or general maintenance, major repairs, and remodeling or construction projects for residential properties.
- Mowing, 3%
Leveled sloped areas, maintained existing landscaping by pruning edging trimming fertilizing and mowing.
Common skills that a handyman uses to do their job include "plumbing," "customer service," and "drywall repair." You can find details on the most important handyman responsibilities below.
Customer-service skills. The most essential soft skill for a handyman to carry out their responsibilities is customer-service skills. This skill is important for the role because "these workers interact with customers on a regular basis." Additionally, a handyman resume shows how their duties depend on customer-service skills: "provide general construction, maintenance, repair, troubleshooting, and consulting to a wide range of residential customers. "
Dexterity. Many handyman duties rely on dexterity. "many repair and maintenance tasks, such as repairing small devices, connecting or attaching components, and using hand tools, require a steady hand and good hand–eye coordination.," so a handyman will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways handyman responsibilities rely on dexterity: "operated skiploader grader and lifts.also replaced pvc pipeline s on property and other small plumbing repairs and small electrical repairs also. "
Troubleshooting skills. This is an important skill for handymen to perform their duties. For an example of how handyman responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "workers find, diagnose, and repair problems." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a handyman: "performed home improvement projects, roofing work, general automotive troubleshooting and repair, and lawn care experience. ".
The three companies that hire the most handymans are:
- Inter Solutions83 handymen jobs
- Handyman Connection69 handymen jobs
- Burger King60 handymen jobs
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Handyman vs. Utility worker
A utility worker is an entry-level position who is responsible for the cleanliness and maintenance of company premises and equipment. Utility workers take verbal and written instructions from managers and maintenance officers about the assigned work areas inside and outside of the property. Some employers may require their utility workers to have a commercial driver's license because they will be operating maintenance equipment and vehicles. Although a bachelor's degree is not required, utility workers must be in good physical condition and also be able to read written work orders.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between handymen and utility worker. For instance, handyman responsibilities require skills such as "plumbing," "drywall repair," "caulking," and "light fixtures." Whereas a utility worker is skilled in "safety procedures," "cleanliness," "rehabilitation," and "kitchen utensils." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Utility workers really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $33,182. Comparatively, handymen tend to make the most money in the construction industry with an average salary of $51,528.utility workers tend to reach similar levels of education than handymen. In fact, utility workers are 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Handyman vs. Groundskeeping maintenance
A Groundskeeping Maintenance Worker performs several skilled and semi-skilled tasks in grounds keeping and building trade areas. They maintain turf places, including weed control and Integrated Pest Management. They also cut and install window glass. These professionals replace broken pipes, replace gaskets, replace washers, replace faucets, flush sewer lines, and clean clogged drains. A Groundskeepipng Maintenance Worker must know how to operate hand equipment and power tools and identify and repair minor roof leaks.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that handyman responsibilities requires skills like "drywall repair," "general maintenance," "caulking," and "sheetrock." But a groundskeeping maintenance might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "cleanliness," "grass," "pet," and "fryers."
Groundskeeping maintenances earn a lower average salary than handymen. But groundskeeping maintenances earn the highest pay in the real estate industry, with an average salary of $32,000. Additionally, handymen earn the highest salaries in the construction with average pay of $51,528 annually.In general, groundskeeping maintenances achieve similar levels of education than handymen. They're 1.0% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Handyman vs. Parks maintenance worker
Park maintenance workers are skilled employees who are employed by the government to maintain the health and safety of landscapes and features in public parks. These workers must maintain the beauty of park grounds by keeping lawns green and tending to annual flowers that change with the seasons. They are required to operate heavy equipment to transport materials and tools that are necessary to perform maintenance tasks. Park maintenance workers must also perform safety inspections on playground equipment to ensure safe use by the public.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a handyman is likely to be skilled in "drywall repair," "hvac," "caulking," and "light fixtures," while a typical parks maintenance worker is skilled in "grass," "hand tools," "grounds maintenance," and "blowers."
Parks maintenance workers earn the best pay in the start-up industry, where they command an average salary of $33,181. Handymen earn the highest pay from the construction industry, with an average salary of $51,528.Most parks maintenance workers achieve a similar degree level compared to handymen. For example, they're 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Handyman vs. Facilities technician
Facilities Technicians are employees who manage the upkeep of the company's facilities. They are in charge of maintaining the different equipment, fixtures, and furniture in the office. They conduct routine maintenance and regular check-ups to ensure that everything is working properly at all times. In case of malfunctioning items, facilities technicians try to repair these items if they know how or schedule the item for repair. They also ensure that the facility's occupational safety and health standards are met, and the employees follow safety protocols.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between handymen and facilities technicians, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a handyman might have more use for skills like "drywall repair," "general maintenance," "sheetrock," and "door installation." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of facilities technicians require skills like "osha," "ladders," "maintenance tasks," and "hand tools. "
Facilities technicians enjoy the best pay in the energy industry, with an average salary of $48,629. For comparison, handymen earn the highest salary in the construction industry.The average resume of facilities technicians showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to handymen. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 2.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.0%.Types of handyman
Updated January 8, 2025











