Will maintenance helpers be replaced by AI?
Updated
Maintenance helpers score 16 of 100 for AI exposure. 74% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 6% today and speed up another 20%.
- 6% AI can do it
- 20% AI helps
- 74% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 87% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 16 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 1 of them today, speeds up 3 and leaves 12 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Order new parts to maintain inventory. Inventory software and AI can track stock and draft orders. | 72% AI can do it |
| Examine and test machinery, equipment, components, and parts for defects to ensure proper functioning. AI reads test data and specs; physical inspection stays human. | 35% AI helps |
| Tend and observe equipment and machinery to verify efficient and safe operation. Monitoring software flags issues; a person still watches equipment. | 30% AI helps |
| Design, weld, and fabricate parts, using blueprints or other mechanical plans. AI helps with CAD and CNC programs; welding stays physical. | 25% AI helps |
| Diagnose electrical problems and install and rewire electrical components. AI can help troubleshoot, but rewiring is physical work. | 15% Needs a person |
| Install or replace machinery, equipment, and new or replacement parts and instruments, using hand or power tools. Physical installation with hand and power tools on equipment. | 12% Needs a person |
| Adjust, maintain, and repair tools, equipment, and machines, and assist more skilled workers with similar tasks. Repairs are physical; AI can help with manuals and guidance. | 10% Needs a person |
| Adjust, connect, or disconnect wiring, piping, tubing, and other parts, using hand or power tools. Connecting wiring and piping is physical, on-site hand work. | 8% Needs a person |
| Disassemble broken or defective equipment to facilitate repair and reassemble equipment when repairs are complete. Taking equipment apart and putting it back needs physical skill. | 8% Needs a person |
| Apply protective materials to equipment, components, and parts to prevent defects and corrosion. Applying coatings and protectants is physical, on-site work. | 6% Needs a person |
Show the other 6 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Assemble and maintain physical structures, using hand or power tools. Assembling structures with tools is physical, on-site work. | 6% Needs a person |
| Clean or lubricate vehicles, machinery, equipment, instruments, tools, work areas, and other objects, using hand tools, power tools, and cleaning equipment. Cleaning and lubricating are physical tasks with little AI help. | 5% Needs a person |
| Transfer tools, parts, equipment, and supplies to and from work stations and other areas. Carrying parts and tools between stations is physical movement. | 5% Needs a person |
| Prepare work stations for use by mechanics and repairers. Setting up workstations is physical work with little AI role. | 5% Needs a person |
| Hold or supply tools, parts, equipment, and supplies for other workers. Handing tools to coworkers is physical and in-person. | 4% Needs a person |
| Position vehicles, machinery, equipment, physical structures, and other objects for assembly or installation, using hand tools, power tools, and moving equipment. Positioning heavy objects with moving equipment is physical work. | 4% Needs a person |
How maintenance helpers compare
All occupations (923)
Installation, maintenance and repair (50)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $39,630 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 95,580 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +5.3% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Track stock and draft parts orders in SAP software
- Log equipment test results with data logging software
- Install and replace parts with hand and power tools
- Diagnose electrical faults and rewire components on site
- Keep work station records in Microsoft Excel and Word
- Run building automation software to monitor equipment
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about maintenance helpers and AI
Will AI replace maintenance helpers?
Partly. About 2 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly ordering new parts and examining machinery for defects. Hands-on work stays with people, including handing tools to mechanics, moving parts, cleaning equipment, and installing replacements with hand and power tools.
Which maintenance helper tasks is AI taking over?
Ordering new parts to keep inventory has the highest exposure score at 72, because inventory software and AI can track stock and draft orders. Examining machinery for defects follows at 35, since AI can read test data and specs while a person still does the physical inspection.
Which maintenance helper tasks stay human?
Holding and supplying tools, positioning heavy objects, and cleaning equipment carry the lowest exposure scores, between 4 and 5. Handing tools to coworkers and carrying parts between stations need a person in the room, so these tasks stay with people.
How can maintenance helpers stay valuable in their work?
Learn the parts ordering and stock tracking in SAP software, since that is the task most exposed to AI. Build skill in physical work such as installing parts with power tools and supplying equipment to mechanics. Check every AI-drafted order and test log against the equipment itself before you sign off.
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