Home Appliance Repairman
How to Become a

Home Appliance Repairman

The complete career guide to be a Home Appliance Repairman: salary, job growth, employers, best schools, and education you may need to get started.

Why We Love It

  • $38,820
    Potential Avg. Salary
  • -3.4%
    Job Growth Rate
  • Don't Take Work Home
    Career Attribute
  • Flexible Hours
    Career Attribute

It is the job of a home appliance repairman to inspect and service a wide range of residential gas or electric appliances such as washers, dryers, trash compactors, gas and electric stoves, refrigerators, microwave oven, and garbage disposers.

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What is a Home Appliance Repairman?

Duties

The duties of a home appliance repairman include the following:

  • Keep updated records of appliance parts in stock, as per current stock lists and make certain they are safeguarded from any damage.
  • Respond to queries customers may have regarding the home appliance and direct them on how to properly operate the product.
  • Follow up on work requests submitted by customers online or through phone calls, which involves placing orders for parts, pickup and delivery of parts and then installation.

Day In The Life

As a home repairman, your main task throughout the day is to visit the homes of customers to evaluate any damages and repair or install the appliance correctly. To understand the problems occurring with major home appliances, you will be closely checking for unusual noises, any fluid leakages, corrosion and loose parts. When required, you have to disassemble the concerned appliance and evaluate internal parts to gain clarity on the particular issue. Fixing air conditions and refrigerators will require you to have a license through the Environmental Protection Agency, since it involves working with refrigerants. As a repair technician, you will utilize various testing equipment and tools like wrenches, files, watt-meters, screwdrivers, ammeters and voltmeters to assess the electrical systems for any short circuit or faulty networks.

Work Schedule

Once home appliance repairmen are fully qualified, they are expected to work with minimum or no supervision when work requested arise. Much of the time is spend commuting between client homes on the road to respond to emergency calls or scheduled appointments.

The work schedule for such positions is a standard 40-hour week with frequent overtime on the weekends and at odd hours (e.g. early mornings, late evenings, overnight) as needed. Most home appliance repairmen remain on call to tackle emergency situations, especially in summer when there is a greater demand to fix broken refrigerators and air conditioners. When not traveling to work sites, you will be performing repairs on small and large appliances in properly ventilated workshops. In case of larger appliances, you will be required to wear protective gear or take adequate precautions to prevent electrocution.

Growth Of The Job

For professionals working in the area of general maintenance and repair, a growth rate of 9% is expected between 2012-2022. In particular, if you are working with air conditioners, heaters or refrigerators, you will see a 21% increase until 2022. There will be sufficient job opportunities with household goods repair companies and layoffs are rare due to the consistent demand for specialized repairmen through the year.

If you are working at a large service center, home appliance repairmen are promoted to roles such as service managers, assistant service managers and supervisors. There are also managerial opportunities like parts manager for specific home appliances or regional service manager to oversee operations at the district level.

Typical Employers

Home appliance repairmen usually find employment with a variety of retail trade establishments, with a focus on electronics and appliance stores. Some also work with personal and household goods repair and maintenance industry. Those with enough experience in servicing or repairing home appliances will also branch out to starting their own independent business.

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How To Become a Home Appliance Repairman

The majority of home appliance repairmen will master their skills via on the job training, beginning as a basic apprentice and reaching the level of master technician. Most positions require you to be at least hold a high school diploma. There are also advantages to becoming a graduate from a technical school or community college, i.e. an associate’s degree program in a relevant subject area like air-conditioner (HVAC) repair, appliance repair, electronics technology, electromechanical devices, heating, ventilation, telecommunications and digital circuits. On the job training is usually a must for entry-level workers from appliance manufacturers and other employers.

For aspiring candidates that envision a career working with refrigerants, becoming licensed through the EPA is required to find employment. The preparations for this does not require formal educational qualifications. You can get enough knowledge through a union or employer training program as well as any trade school program that is offering a diploma or certificate.


Home Appliance Repairman Salary Data

We’ve provided you the following to learn more about this career. The salary and growth data on this page comes from recently published Bureau of Labor Statistics data while the recommendations and editorial content are based on our research.

National Anual Salary

Low Range

$27,610

Average

$38,820

High Range

$60,700

National Hourly Wage

Low Range

$13/hr

Average

$19/hr

High Range

$29/hr

How do Home Appliance Repairman salaries stack up to other jobs across the country? Based on the latest jobs data nationwide, Home Appliance Repairman's can make an average annual salary of $38,820, or $19 per hour. This makes it an Above Average Salary. On the lower end, they can make $27,610 or $13 per hour, perhaps when just starting out or based on the state you live in.

Salary Rankings And Facts

  • #548 Nationally for All Careers


Highest Education Among Home Appliance Repairmans

  • 0.3%   Doctorate
  • 0.8%   Masters
  • 5.2%   Bachelors
  • 8.5%   Associates
  • 29.1%   College
  • 45.2%   High School
  • 10.9%   Less than High School

Job Growth Projections and Forecast

2014 Total Jobs

46,400

2024 Est. Jobs

44,800

Job Growth Rate

-3.4%

Est. New Jobs

-1,600

How does Home Appliance Repairman job growth stack up to other jobs across the country? By 2024, there will be a change of -1,600 jobs for a total of 44,800 people employed in the career nationwide. This is a -3.4% change in growth over the next ten years, giving the career a growth rate nationwide of Below Average.

Growth Rankings And Facts

  • #680 Nationally for All Careers


What Companies Employ The Most Home Appliance Repairmans

Industry Current Jobs New Jobs Needed % Increase
Self-employed workers 13,300 -400 0%
Electronics and appliance stores 12,500 -1,300 -1%
Personal and household goods repair and maintenance 10,700 -100 0%

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