# Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers

> Help installation, maintenance, and repair workers in maintenance, parts replacement, and repair of vehicles, industrial machinery, and electrical and electronic equipment. Perform duties such as furnishing tools, materials, and supplies to other workers; cleaning work area, machines, and tools; and holding materials or tools for other workers.

- **SOC code:** 49-9098.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-49-9098-00
- **Also known as:** Maintenance Aide, Maintenance Helper, Mechanic Helper, Technician's Helper, HVAC Helper (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning Helper), HVAC Installation Helper (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning Installation Helper), Mechanic Repair Helper, Mechanic's Assistant
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Install or replace machinery, equipment, and new or replacement parts and instruments, using hand or power tools.
- Examine and test machinery, equipment, components, and parts for defects to ensure proper functioning.
- Tend and observe equipment and machinery to verify efficient and safe operation.
- Adjust, connect, or disconnect wiring, piping, tubing, and other parts, using hand or power tools.
- Assemble and maintain physical structures, using hand or power tools.
- Clean or lubricate vehicles, machinery, equipment, instruments, tools, work areas, and other objects, using hand tools, power tools, and cleaning equipment.
- Hold or supply tools, parts, equipment, and supplies for other workers.
- Diagnose electrical problems and install and rewire electrical components.
- Disassemble broken or defective equipment to facilitate repair and reassemble equipment when repairs are complete.
- Position vehicles, machinery, equipment, physical structures, and other objects for assembly or installation, using hand tools, power tools, and moving equipment.
- Transfer tools, parts, equipment, and supplies to and from work stations and other areas.
- Adjust, maintain, and repair tools, equipment, and machines, and assist more skilled workers with similar tasks.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Mechanical _(knowledge)_
- Building and Construction _(knowledge)_
- Customer and Personal Service _(knowledge)_
- Manual Dexterity _(ability)_
- Arm-Hand Steadiness _(ability)_
- Control Precision _(ability)_
- Near Vision _(ability)_
- Public Safety and Security _(knowledge)_
- English Language _(knowledge)_
- Multilimb Coordination _(ability)_
- Engineering and Technology _(knowledge)_
- Mathematics _(knowledge)_

**Skills in demand:**
- English Language _(Common Skill)_
- Mathematics _(Common Skill)_
- Finger Dexterity _(Common Skill)_
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_
- Equipment Maintenance _(Specialized Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Visualization _(Specialized Skill)_
- Speech Recognition _(Specialized Skill)_
- Microsoft Word _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Windows _(Common Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Windows _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology)_
- SAP software _(hot technology)_
- Atlas Construction Business Forms
- Building automation software
- Data logging software
- Facility energy management software
- HVAC tools software

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 6th percentile (Low) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 7th percentile (Low) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 9th percentile (Low) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 15th percentile (Low) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 64th percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 2.3% growth (About average); 11.8k annual openings; 98.7k → 101k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $38,860; 97,540 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Anthropic Economic Index** (v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27)) — Anthropic. https://www.anthropic.com/economic-index
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-49-9098-00_