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Appliance repair and service companies
Sears Home Services, Mr. Appliance, A&E Factory Service
Home Appliance Repairers
Home appliance repairers travel to homes and other sites to diagnose and fix washers, dryers, refrigerators, stoves, and similar equipment. The work is hands-on and customer-facing: one visit might mean leveling a new refrigerator and hooking up water lines, while the next could be a safety call for a gas leak or a conversation about whether repair is worth the cost. The tradeoff is practical, steady work with relatively low entry requirements, but only modest pay and slow long-term growth.
Also known as Appliance Repair TechnicianAppliance Service TechnicianMajor Appliance Repair TechnicianHome Appliance TechnicianField Service Appliance Technician
Median Salary
$49,410
Mean $53,580
U.S. Workforce
~32K
3.1K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+2.6%
37.3K to 38.3K
Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Home Appliance Repairers sits in the Trades category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~32K workers, with a median annual pay of $49,410 and roughly 3.1K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 37.3 K in 2024 to 38.3K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with High school diploma or equivalent, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Appliance Service Helper and can progress toward Lead Technician / Service Supervisor. High-value skills usually include Repairing, Appliance Diagnostic Tools, Multimeters & Clamp Meters, and Troubleshooting, paired with soft skills such as Critical thinking, Customer service, and Active listening.
Core Responsibilities
- Take service calls from a dispatcher or office and head out with the right parts and tools.
- Find the cause of problems in washers, dryers, refrigerators, stoves, and other home appliances, then repair or replace the faulty parts.
- Set up appliances so they sit level, connect water or gas lines, and make sure hookups are secure.
- Keep the service van stocked with the parts and supplies needed for common repairs.
Keep exploring: more Trades careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Take service calls from a dispatcher or office and head out with the right parts and tools.
02 Find the cause of problems in washers, dryers, refrigerators, stoves, and other home appliances, then repair or replace the faulty parts.
03 Set up appliances so they sit level, connect water or gas lines, and make sure hookups are secure.
04 Keep the service van stocked with the parts and supplies needed for common repairs.
05 Give customers a repair estimate and explain whether fixing the unit or replacing it is the smarter choice.
06 Put appliances back together after the repair, clean and lubricate moving parts, test that everything works, and respond to urgent safety issues such as gas leaks.
Industries That Hire
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Retail and home improvement
Best Buy, Lowe's, The Home Depot
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Appliance manufacturing and warranty support
Whirlpool, GE Appliances, LG Electronics
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Property management and facilities services
Greystar, CBRE, JLL
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Home warranty and service contract providers
American Home Shield, Choice Home Warranty, First American Home Warranty
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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You can get started with a high school diploma, and the BLS says no prior work experience is needed.
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Moderate-term on-the-job training lets you earn while you learn instead of spending years in school.
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There are about 3.1K annual openings, so people do leave or retire often enough to create steady hiring.
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The job mixes diagnosis, hands-on repair, and customer interaction, so the day is rarely repetitive.
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The role can lead to self-employment or a small service business once you build a reputation and a parts network.
Challenges
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Pay is solid but not high for skilled labor: the median is $49,410 and the mean is $53,580.
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Growth is slow, at just 2.6% from 2024 to 2034, with employment rising only from 37.3K to 38.3K.
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The work is physically awkward because you have to lift appliances, crouch, reach behind units, and move through tight kitchens and laundry rooms.
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Emergency calls, including gas leaks, add real safety pressure and can make the schedule unpredictable.
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There is a structural ceiling in the trade: appliance complexity, proprietary parts, and repair-vs-replace decisions can squeeze margins, so advancement often means supervision or ownership rather than just staying a technician.
Career Progression
Appliance Service Helper
0-1 years
$32K-$40K
Learns the basics of appliance brands, common failures, and safe handling while helping a senior technician on simple jobs.
Home Appliance Repairer
1-4 years
$44K-$58K
Works independently on routine repairs, estimates jobs, and deals directly with customers in homes and apartments.
Senior Home Appliance Repairer THIS ROLE
5-8 years
$59K-$72K
Handles harder diagnostics, newer appliance systems, and the jobs that need stronger troubleshooting and more judgment.
Lead Technician / Service Supervisor
8+ years
$73K-$88K
Oversees other technicians, handles difficult calls, reviews estimates, and helps keep the field schedule moving.
Education Paths
High school diploma or equivalent
The most common entry point, held by 68.97% of workers in this role, and the BLS says no prior work experience is required.
Post-secondary certificate in appliance repair or a related trade
A strong alternative route, held by 20.34% of workers, especially for people who want more structured training before starting field work.
Less than a high school diploma
A smaller share of workers, 7.62%, entered with less than a high school diploma, usually by learning directly on the job.
Employer training or apprenticeship
Some employers hire helpers with a basic education and train them on the job, which fits the role's moderate-term training requirement.
Key Skills
Technical
Repairing 78%
Appliance Diagnostic Tools, Multimeters & Clamp Meters 76%
Troubleshooting 72%
Equipment Maintenance 72%
Operations Monitoring 70%
Quality Control Inspection & Testing 70%
Soft Skills
Critical thinkingCustomer serviceActive listeningClear communicationAttention to detailTime management Job Outlook and Trends
+2.6%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
3.1K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 37.3K to 38.3 K over the next decade, representing 2.6% growth. Around 3.1 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.