How To Become A Maintenance Helper: What It Is and Career Path

What is a maintenance helper and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A maintenance helper is an individual who assists an experienced maintenance and repair technician. This position is an entry-level position and involves making sure that the maintenance technician has all the tools and equipment needed to conduct a job. A maintenance helper performs various support tasks, and assists the maintenance technician in installing and repairing machines and equipment, cleans workspaces, as well as ensures that all equipment and tools are in working order.

An advanced degree is not necessary to land a job as a maintenance helper, but most employers do require a High School diploma or a GED, and some experience in maintenance work. A maintenance helper should possess strong communication, mechanical, and troubleshooting skills, and should be comfortable working with customers and various tools and machinery.

A maintenance helper can make up to $30,000 annually, and the career field is expected to grow 6% by 2028.

ScoreMaintenance HelperUS Average

Salary

2.4

Avg. Salary $30,824

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.6

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.17%

Asian 4.54%

Black or African American 10.97%

Hispanic or Latino 20.02%

Unknown 4.25%

White 59.05%

Gender

female 10.55%

male 89.45%

Age - 49

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 49

Stress level

7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a maintenance helper

Explore maintenance helper education requirements

Most common maintenance helper degrees

High School Diploma

47.0 %

Associate

17.5 %

Diploma

14.2 %

Start to develop specific maintenance helper skills

Skills	Percentages
Hand Tools	21.71%
Plumbing	10.45%
Ladders	6.57%
Preventive Maintenance	4.39%
HVAC	3.69%

Complete relevant maintenance helper training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New maintenance helpers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a maintenance helper based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real maintenance helper resumes.

Gain additional maintenance helper certifications

Maintenance helper certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific maintenance helper certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for maintenance helpers include EPA Amusement Operators Safety Certification (EPA) and OSHA Safety Certificate .

More About Certifications

Research maintenance helper duties and responsibilities

Painted/striped beams (per OSHA safety standards.
Fabricate safety guards and railing to upgrade machinery to OSHA standards.
Used a variety of gauges and tools to troubleshoot and repair equipment.
Preform grounds keeping including; mowing, spraying, watering, laying mulch, and fertilizing.

Prepare your maintenance helper resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your maintenance helper resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a maintenance helper resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable maintenance helper resume templates

Build a professional maintenance helper resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your maintenance helper resume.