Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz
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Home Appliance Repairers
Home Appliance Repairers repair, adjust, or install all types of electric or gas household appliances, such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, and ovens.
Table of contents
What they do
Home Appliance Repairers repair, adjust, or install all types of electric or gas household appliances, such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, and ovens.
- Bill customers for repair work, and collect payment.
- Observe and examine appliances during operation to detect specific malfunctions such as loose parts or leaking fluid.
- Talk to customers or refer to work orders to establish the nature of appliance malfunctions.
- Refer to schematic drawings, product manuals, and troubleshooting guides to diagnose and repair problems.
Typical day
On a daily basis, Home Appliance Repairers maintain stocks of parts used in on-site installation, maintenance, and repair of appliances. They contact supervisors or offices to receive repair assignments.
A typical day for a Home Appliance Repairer will also include:
- Trace electrical circuits, following diagrams, and conduct tests with circuit testers and other equipment to locate shorts and grounds.
- Refer to schematic drawings, product manuals, and troubleshooting guides to diagnose and repair problems.
- Talk to customers or refer to work orders to establish the nature of appliance malfunctions.
- Instruct customers regarding operation and care of appliances, and provide information such as emergency service numbers.
- Level refrigerators, adjust doors, and connect water lines to water pipes for ice makers and water dispensers, using hand tools.
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Home Appliance Repairers also disassemble and reinstall existing kitchen cabinets, or assemble and install prefabricated kitchen cabinets and trim in conjunction with appliance installation. They may also test and examine gas pipelines and equipment to locate leaks and faulty connections and to determine the pressure and flow of gas.
On a weekly to monthly basis, Home Appliance Repairers respond to emergency calls for problems such as gas leaks. They might also assemble new or reconditioned appliances.
In addition, they light and adjust pilot lights on gas stoves, and examine valves and burners for gas leakage and specified flame.
Although specific duties may vary, many of them take measurements to determine if appliances will fit in installation locations, performing minor carpentry work when necessary to ensure proper installation.
To some Home Appliance Repairers, it is also their responsibility to level washing machines and connect hoses to water pipes, using hand tools.
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What is the job like
Job satisfaction
Is this job meaningful
47% said they were satisfied with their job and 44% said they found their job meaningful.
A typical day starts with checking the work schedule, reading notes, understanding problems you have to face with and of course planning your route. But before going to the client’s house, we are ALWAYS checking if we have available parts on hand, in order to be able to fix the appliance on the first visit. Thus, we can save money and time for our company.
Next, we are visiting 5-8 clients (depends on how many service calls we got) and fixing failed appliances.
Workday is usually from 8 am to 4 pm.
We can take lunch 30 minutes any time between 12pm – 2pm, depends on how busy we are.
Pros
You will always have a job, doesn’t matter how good or bad the economy, pandemic, etc. because, what would you do (as a homeowner) if your refrigerator stopped working during a pandemic, let’s say? You will call a repair person to fix it ASAP! So, in other words, appliances always break and thus you will always have work to do.
You can start your own service company and work for yourself, at some point.
Cons
At the beginning of your career, it is not easy to understand all those wiring diagrams and understand how things work. But it is very crucial to have experience in these things, because appliances in our days becoming more and more complicated, with a lot of sensors, control boards, etc.
Sometimes, you can get very busy and tired and even won’t have time for lunch because you will be driving and repairing a lot during the day.
Advice to aspiring appliance repair techs
So here is my #1 advice
If you are thinking about becoming an appliance repair tech, you need to understand that this job is not for everyone (to be honest). This job will require critical thinking and many times things goes not as you planned. Because what you will learn in the university (practice and theory) is a little bit different from what you will face in the field. I recommend you to have priority to learn more about electrical stuff, such as reading and understanding diagrams, understanding Ohms law, how electricity flows, etc. because mechanical troubleshooting is much easier than electrical. Especially in our time, appliances becoming more advanced and more complicated to troubleshoot.
Advice #2
Be responsible and never rush to finish your job. This is a common issue with appliance repair guys when they have many service calls per day, they want to finish all of them to make more money. But if you have limited time for troubleshooting, you can easily misdiagnose the problem and at the end, it will cost the company more money, and sometimes a bad reputation is inevitable.
So, if you think you are a responsible person, apply for this program.
Before applying for Appliance Repair Tech Program
You will have two options (depends on where you live and university programs), you can go to university for a full-time program, usually for 3 years or you can find an appliance repair company and start working as an apprentice 1st year under the supervision of appliance repair journeyperson. I would choose a second option (ONLY if you have basic troubleshooting skills), cause you will obtain the necessary knowledge and skills much earlier. Every year, the company has to send you back to university for a month or two to do some studying. If you complete it, you will get the next level of apprenticeship. And so on, until you become an appliance service journeyman.
Pros
Suitable for people who like practical and hands-on work.
Suitable for people who want independence and like to work on their own and make decisions.
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
It is not too difficult to get into this career. Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.
Cons
Not suitable for people who likes to work with designs.
Salary is below average.
How much do they make
Average salary
Average hourly wage
Entry-level Home Appliance Repairers with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $25,000 to $32,170 per year or $12 to $15 per hour.
| Salary by experience | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Highest (Top 10%) | $65,640 | $32 |
| Senior (Top 25%) | $52,920 | $25 |
| Median | $41,610 | $20 |
| Junior (Bottom 25%) | $32,170 | $15 |
| No experience (Bottom 10%) | $25,000 | $12 |
This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Home Appliance Repairers based on their average annual salary.
| Salary by industry | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Gas Distribution | $62100 | $29.86 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Repair and Maintenance | $54980 | $26.43 |
| Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $54760 | $26.33 |
| Real Estate | $53740 | $25.84 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $53190 | $25.57 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | $51410 | $24.72 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $48890 | $23.50 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $48270 | $23.21 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | $47880 | $23.02 |
| Residential Building Construction | $47710 | $22.94 |
View more salary by industries here.
Where can they work
Where can Home Appliance Repairers work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Home Appliance Repairers including the average salary in that industry.
| Employers | Total Employed | Annual Salary | Hourly Wages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance | 9980 | $45390 | $21.82 |
| Electronics and Appliance Stores | 9220 | $40200 | $19.33 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | 1350 | $47880 | $23.02 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Repair and Maintenance | 770 | $54980 | $26.43 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 660 | $51410 | $24.72 |
| Building Material and Supplies Dealers | 470 | $42070 | $20.23 |
| Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance | 390 | $45080 | $21.67 |
| Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Stores | 370 | $45360 | $21.81 |
| Home Furnishings Stores | 350 | $40670 | $19.55 |
| Furniture Stores | 320 | $43860 | $21.09 |
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What is the work day like
Working hours
Working schedule
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Telephone
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Group discussions
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Public speaking
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Level of competition
How much competitive pressure is in this job?
What is the work environment like
Office-style environment
Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition
Warehouse-style environment
Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse
Outdoors
Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions
Outdoors – Under Cover
Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)
How to become one
Difficulty to become one
Required level of education
What level of education do you need to perform the job?
Relevant majors
Appliance Installation and Repair Technology
Relevant work experience
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On The Job Training
How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?
Should you become one
Best personality type for this career
People with this personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.
People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.
People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tend to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.
Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.
Work Values
Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?
You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.
You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.
You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.
You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.
You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.
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