How to hire helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Adjust, connect, or disconnect wiring, piping, tubing, and other parts, using hand or power tools. • Clean or lubricate vehicles, machinery, equipment, instruments, tools, work areas, and other objects, using hand tools, power tools, and cleaning equipment. • Diagnose electrical problems and install and rewire electrical components. • Disassemble broken or defective equipment to facilitate repair and reassemble equipment when repairs are complete. • Examine and test machinery, equipment, components, and parts for defects to ensure proper functioning. • Hold or supply tools, parts, equipment, and supplies for other workers. • Install or replace machinery, equipment, and new or replacement parts and instruments, using hand or power tools. • Tend and observe equipment and machinery to verify efficient and safe operation. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong active listening, critical thinking, monitoring and speaking skills • Working knowledge of mechanical, building and construction and customer and personal service • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $19.05 an hour ($39,630 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to adjust, connect, or disconnect wiring, piping, tubing, and other parts, using hand or power tools. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to clean or lubricate vehicles, machinery, equipment, instruments, tools, work areas, and other objects, using hand tools, power tools, and cleaning equipment. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to diagnose electrical problems and install and rewire electrical components. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to disassemble broken or defective equipment to facilitate repair and reassemble equipment when repairs are complete. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers do
- Adjust, connect, or disconnect wiring, piping, tubing, and other parts, using hand or power tools.
- Clean or lubricate vehicles, machinery, equipment, instruments, tools, work areas, and other objects, using hand tools, power tools, and cleaning equipment.
- Diagnose electrical problems and install and rewire electrical components.
- Disassemble broken or defective equipment to facilitate repair and reassemble equipment when repairs are complete.
- Examine and test machinery, equipment, components, and parts for defects to ensure proper functioning.
- Hold or supply tools, parts, equipment, and supplies for other workers.
- Install or replace machinery, equipment, and new or replacement parts and instruments, using hand or power tools.
- Tend and observe equipment and machinery to verify efficient and safe operation.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +5.3% over ten years, faster than average · about 13,600 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $46,320 |
| Washington | $46,080 |
| New Hampshire | $45,760 |
| Alaska | $45,740 |
| Colorado | $45,610 |
| Oklahoma | $35,530 |
| Mississippi | $35,440 |
| Arkansas | $33,630 |
See helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers pay in every state
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Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.