Building Maintenance Workers may:

Do routine painting

Perform routine maintenance checks to ensure the building system operate smoothly and effectively

Repair woodwork, plumbing fixtures, drywall, and plaster

Inspect machinery and mechanical equipment for defects

Replace rubber drive belts and other defective parts on machinery

Clean and lubricate shafts, bearings, gears, pulleys, and other parts of machines

Open clogged drains

Repair, replace and maintain electrical wiring, fuses, switches, motors and other fixtures and equipment

Dismantle machines or equipment to repair defective parts and repair them

Clean work areas as needed

Notify management if there is a need for major repairs such as additions to lighting, heating, and ventilation equipment

Test, replace, and install electrical circuits and fixtures

Do routine and landscaping maintenance

Use common and power tools to help aid in  performing certain duties or tasks Tools, equipment and materials used may include:

Building Maintenance Workers work both inside and outside, alone or as members of a crew. Those who inspect and maintain machinery may be exposed to noise, oil, and grease. Hazards of building maintenance work may include minor cuts, bruises, burns, and electrical shocks caused by machines, hand tools, and chemicals, as well as falls from ladders. However, the risks of injury can be reduced by following prescribed safety precautions. Building lighting and ventilation are usually good.

Building Maintenance Workers usually work a 40-hour week. However, the nature of their work may require them to work evenings, weekends, and holidays. To provide 24-hour service, Workers may also be assigned to shift work or be on call. Some Maintenance Workers, for example, may have to work on a machine after the regular staff has left for the day. The amount of overtime work a Maintenance Worker does depends on the industry.

Building Maintenance Workers may belong to The Service Employees International Union or the union that holds the bargaining rights with the company that employs them. Building Maintenance Workers who join a union pay periodic union dues.

You Should Prefer:

• Working with your hands

• Activities involving the use of machines, processes, or methods

• Activities which bring satisfaction from working on or fixing things

You Should Be Able To:

• Rate information using standards that can be measured or checked

• Perform a variety of duties which may change often

• Work within precise limits or standards of accuracy

• Picture objects from drawings or diagrams
• Make precise arm-hand positioning movements and maintains static arm-hand

Math Problem You Should Be Able to Solve:

What should be the least resistance between the motor windings and the motor housing of any hermetic motor-compressor of 1hp or less?

Reading Example You Should Be Able to Read and Comprehend:

Coal-tar pitch and asphalt products are used in the installation and treatment of industrial wood block floors. Material of the respective types in the original installation should be used for replacement. Coal-tar pitch and asphalt are not compatible and must not be in contact with each other.

Writing Example You Should Be Able to Produce:

Prepare an inspection report after a routine inspection of a machine room.

Thinking Skill You Should Be Able to Demonstrate:

Analytical skills in inspecting and maintaining commercial and industrial establishments.

Some employers may require 1 or 2 years of experience, while others require none.

NOTE: On-The-Job Training provided by the employer or a High School Diploma or Equivalent or a High School Diploma with specific Vocational Education Classes or a Certificate (program of up to one year of study beyond high school) or an Associate Degree (two years of study beyond high school) may qualify a person for this occupation.

The following education and preparation opportunities are helpful in preparing for occupations in this Career Exploration Script:

***SCHOOL SUBJECTS***

0500 BUILDING TRADES , 0700 CAREERS , 0900 COMMUNICATIONS , 1200 ELECTRONICS , 2200 MATH , 2300 METALS , 3200 TECHNICAL DRAWING , 3300 TECHNOLOGY , 3400 WOODS

***VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS***

027 BUILDING/HOME MAINT. & SERV.

Approved vocational education programs in Building & Home Maintenance & Services prepare students to clean and care for buildings and their contents. Instruction is given in using and caring for cleaning equipment and tools, dusting, wet mopping, scrubbing, waxing, and refinishing surfaces; cleaning windows and walls; applying cleaning solutions, protective coatings, and disinfectants; and purchasing custodial supplies.

Courses in other trade and industrial programs may be required for completion of this program.

High school students should consult their guidance office for more information about the specific requirements of this program at their school or area vocational education center.

***POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS***

024 BUILDING MAINTENANCE

Building Maintenance Programs provide opportunities to learn the basic maintenance and repair skills needed to keep buildings in a proper working condition.

Training usually includes instruction in the following:

Some of the ways to gain experience are summer and part-time jobs doing light maintenance in hospitals, nursing homes, offices, stores, hotels, restaurants, and apartment buildings. Secondary vocational education programs in building and home maintenance and services and postsecondary programs in building maintenance may offer practical experience.

School-to-Work opportunities include:

informal apprenticeships

mentorships

job shadowing experiences

touring a local Building Maintenance Worker employer

internships

volunteer work with a Building Maintenance Worker employer

community service work with an agency

The most common method of entry is direct application to employers. Workers interested in government positions must contact the appropriate civil service office. Assistance in locating a job may be obtained from a local office of Michigan Works!, a local union, or your school placement office. Job openings are often listed in newspaper want ads. In addition, you should access and search the Internet's on-line employment services sites such as:  

You should also enter an electronic resume on these on-line services.

Earnings of Building Maintenance Workers vary according to industry, employer, union affiliation, experience, and geographic location.

Nationally, in 2005, Workers providing services to buildings earned an average of $10.20 per hour. The median hourly earnings of "all" workers in the U.S. were $16.28 in 2005.

Maintenance Workers employed by the State of Michigan earned wages ranging from $15.46 to $23.75 per hour in mid 2007. Maintenance supervisors had hourly earnings ranging between $19.16 and $26.35.

Maintenance Workers employed in several areas of Michigan had estimated hourly earnings of (2006):

The 2005 graduates of high school vocational education programs in Michigan who are working in jobs related to this occupation earned an average beginning wage of $10.81 an hour in 2006.

Most Building Maintenance Workers receive paid vacations and holidays; life, disability, and hospitalization insurance; and retirement plans. These benefits are usually paid for, at least in part, by the employer.

Building Maintenance Workers usually learn their work through on-the-job training as a maintenance helper. This training can last from 6 months to 2 years depending on the skills learned. As maintenance helpers gain experience, they are given progressively more complicated tasks until reaching the level of a Building Maintenance Worker. Advancement for building Maintenance Workers depends on experience, job skill, ability to supervise, and availability of openings.

Nationally, about 1,331,700 Building Maintenance Workers were employed in 2004. Employment of Building Maintenance Workers is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2014. The industry distribution for Building Maintenance Workers looked like this:  

   Additional Maintenance Workers will be needed in new office buildings, hospitals, and apartment houses. This growth could be somewhat offset by fluctuations in the economy. Opportunities for part-time and evening work should also be good.

There are about 40,950 Building Maintenance Workers employed in Michigan. They worked in hospitals, hotels, factories, stores, apartment houses, offices, and government buildings.  

The employment of Building Maintenance Workers in Michigan is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2012. An average of 1370 openings is expected annually, with 580 of them due to growth and 790 of them due to the replacement of workers who retire, die or leave the labor force. Additional openings will occur as workers transfer to other jobs or occupations. In late 2006, there were 7 apprentices in training for this occupation.

As the unemployment rate drops and wages increase the need for Building Maintenance Workers should increase as additional apartment complexes, condominiums, office buildings, and shopping centers are built in suburban areas and small towns. Industrial plant construction and expansion in Michigan will also result in the need for more Building Maintenance Workers.

MICHIGAN'S EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK TO 2012

MSA designates a Metropolitan Statistical Area  

Printed Occupational information is available upon written request from the sources below.