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Maintenance Helper I Salary in the United States

How much does a Maintenance Helper I make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Maintenance Helper I in the United States is $46,490 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $22.

However, a Maintenance Helper I's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $55,851
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $40,790 to $51,390
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $35,600

Key Factors That Influence Maintenance Helper I Salaries

A Maintenance Helper I's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Maintenance Helper Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Maintenance Helper I's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Maintenance Helper I (0-1 years): $46,442
  • Intermediate General Maintenance Worker (1-3 years): $51,705
  • Maintenance Helper III (3-5 years): $59,240
  • Lead General Maintenance Worker (5-7 years): $76,594
  • Maintenance Supervisor (7+ years): $83,830
Job Role Years of Experience Average Salary
Maintenance Helper I0-1 years$46,442
Intermediate General Maintenance Worker1-3 years$51,705
Maintenance Helper III3-5 years$59,240
Lead General Maintenance Worker5-7 years$76,594
Maintenance Supervisor7+ years$83,830

Top Paying Cities for Maintenance Helper Is

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $58,590
  • San Francisco: $57,990
  • Oakland: $56,790

What Skills Can Increase a Maintenance Helper I's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Troubleshooting (Mentioned in 5.08% Job Postings): Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system. It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process operational again. Troubleshooting is needed to identify the symptoms. Determining the most likely cause is a process of elimination—eliminating potential causes of a problem. Finally, troubleshooting requires confirmation that the solution restores the product or process to its working state. In general, troubleshooting is the identification or diagnosis of "trouble" in the management flow of a system caused by a failure of some kind. The problem is initially described as symptoms of malfunction, and troubleshooting is the process of determining and remedying the causes of these symptoms. A system can be described in terms of its expected, desired or intended behavior (usually, for artificial systems, its purpose). Events or inputs to the system are expected to generate specific results or outputs. (For example, selecting the "print" option from various computer applications is intended to result in a hardcopy emerging from some specific device). Any unexpected or undesirable behavior is a symptom. Troubleshooting is the process of isolating the specific cause or causes of the symptom. Frequently the symptom is a failure of the product or process to produce any results. (Nothing was printed, for example). Corrective action can then be taken to prevent further failures of a similar kind.
  • Preventative Maintenance (Mentioned in 6.32% Job Postings): Developing and implementing maintenance strategies to increase equipment life expectancy and avoid unplanned downtime.
  • Repairing (Mentioned in 2.77% Job Postings): To put something that is damaged, broken, or not working correctly, back into good condition or make it work again.
Skills Demand Percentage
Troubleshooting 5.08%
Preventative Maintenance 6.32%
Repairing 2.77%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Maintenance Helper I's salary.

  • Coaching: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
  • Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Property Management: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Coaching $51,604
11%
Collaboration $49,279
6%
Property Management $49,279
6%

Maintenance Helper I Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Maintenance Helper I salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $51,955. While startup companies pay approximate $43,948.

Maintenance Helper I Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup 1~50 $43,948
Growth Stage 51~500 $46,480
Established 501~5000 $50,169
Enterprise 5000+ $51,955

Maintenance Helper I Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Maintenance Helper I roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Energy & Utilities and Pharmaceuticals sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average. In contrast, Maintenance Helper positions in Transportation or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Maintenance Helper I as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Maintenance Helper I

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Energy & Utilities$55,788$27.020%
Pharmaceuticals$55,788$27.020%
Biotechnology$53,463$26.015%
Financial Services$53,463$26.015%
Software & Networking$53,463$26.015%

How Education impacts a Maintenance Helper I's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Maintenance Helper Is enter the field with a No Diploma degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Maintenance Helper I with a No Diploma is between $44,690 and $48,890).

Maintenance Helper I Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Maintenance Helper I
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 5.3%
High School 72.7%
Associates 12.0%
Bachelors 9.3%
Masters 0.7%
Doctorate 0.0%

Maintenance Helper I Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Maintenance Helper I's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$40,790
Average $46,490/year
$51,390
$3,399
Average $3,874/month
$4,283
$784
Average $894/week
$988
$20
Average $22/hour
$25
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $51,390 $4,283 $988 $25
Average $46,490 $3,874 $894 $22
25th Percentile $40,790 $3,399 $784 $20

Maintenance Helper I Salary Growth & Career Path

For a Maintenance Helper I, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Intermediate General Maintenance Worker role. This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to $51,710 - a projected growth of 11% over your current level.

Most common benefits for Maintenance Helper I

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Maintenance Helper I

Here are companies hiring for Maintenance Helper I and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Maintenance Helper I

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Maintenance Helper I?

The Energy & Utilities industry offers the highest average compensation for Maintenance Helper I roles, with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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