Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 49-3053

Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics

Median pay sits 36% below the mid peer in Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations (neighbors include Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay, Millwrights, Precision Instrument and Equipment Repairers, All Other, Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics: Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay ($103K) , Millwrights ($66K) , Precision Instrument and Equipment Repairers, All Other ($69K) , Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers ($74K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 49-3053 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Record repairs made, time spent, and parts used
  2. 2. Test and inspect engines to determine malfunctions, to locate missing and broken parts, and to verify repairs, using diagnostic instruments
  3. 3. Dismantle engines, using hand tools, and examine parts for defects
  4. 4. Repair and maintain gasoline engines used to power equipment such as portable saws, lawn mowers, generators, and compressors
  5. 5. Adjust points, valves, carburetors, distributors, and spark plug gaps, using feeler gauges
  6. 6. Repair or replace defective parts such as magnetos, water pumps, gears, pistons, and carburetors, using hand tools
  7. 7. Perform routine maintenance such as cleaning and oiling parts, honing cylinders, and tuning ignition systems
  8. 8. Reassemble engines after repair or maintenance work is complete
  9. 9. Replace motors
  10. 10. Obtain problem descriptions from customers, and prepare cost estimates for repairs
  11. 11. Show customers how to maintain equipment
  12. 12. Remove engines from equipment, and position and bolt engines to repair stands

Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics: O*NET ranks Equipment Maintenance first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 49-3053 - lead skill Equipment Maintenance at 3.9 ; lead knowledge Mechanical. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Equipment Maintenance 3.9
  2. 2. Repairing 3.9
  3. 3. Troubleshooting 3.8
  4. 4. Operations Monitoring 3.4
  5. 5. Critical Thinking 3.3
  6. 6. Equipment Selection 3.3
  7. 7. Operation and Control 3.3
  8. 8. Active Listening 3.1

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mechanical 4.3
  2. 2. Customer and Personal Service 3.5
  3. 3. English Language 3.4
  4. 4. Engineering and Technology 3.2
  5. 5. Education and Training 3.2
  6. 6. Transportation 3.1
Pay vs Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations peers
-36%
vs mid peer median $74,340
This role $47,880/yr
$48K
National median
↑ +3%
Growth 2024-2034
3,500
Annual openings
36,060
Estimated US jobs
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay
Highest-pay peer · $103K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics

1. Hawaii $58,110
2. Alaska $60,190
3. Missouri $55,120
4. Delaware $54,230
5. Minnesota $55,990
6. Idaho $55,320
7. Nevada $56,750
8. New Hampshire $57,610
9. Connecticut $56,680
10. Massachusetts $57,830

Other Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations titles

  1. 1. Precision Instrument and Equipment Repairers, All Other $68,990
  2. 2. Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers $74,330
  3. 3. Rail Car Repairers $67,530
  4. 4. Commercial Divers $72,990
  5. 5. Millwrights $65,700
  6. 6. Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay $103,020

Among Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations peers on this card, Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics sits 36% below the mid peer median ($74,340). Its own median is $47,880.

Employment Projections expect +3% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 3,500 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Hawaii at $58,110. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay at $103,020. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics pay-rank #43 in Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations

On the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations median table (51 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics lands at #43, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 49-3053 · national median $47,880 · lower third of Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations (#43/51). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 49-3053

Hawaii · top state for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics

$58K published median

Alaska · #2 state pay

$60K · behind Hawaii

Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay

Highest-pay peer vs Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics · $103K

Millwrights

Lower-pay peer beside Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics · $66K

Compare Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics

Against another occupation

Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics land on the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations median table? ▼
Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics is pay-rank #43 of 51 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers ($48K), Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers ($48K), Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers ($47K), Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles ($48K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics. Leading ones include: Record repairs made, time spent, and parts used; Test and inspect engines to determine malfunctions, to locate missing and broken parts, and to verify repairs, using diagnostic instruments; Dismantle engines, using hand tools, and examine parts for defects; Repair and maintain gasoline engines used to power equipment such as portable saws, lawn mowers, generators, and compressors. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics? ▼
For SOC 49-3053, O*NET importance scores lead with Equipment Maintenance (3.9), Repairing (3.9), Troubleshooting (3.8), Operations Monitoring (3.4). Knowledge areas emphasize Mechanical, Customer and Personal Service, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $47,880 as the national median for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics. The published 10th-90th range is $34,670 to $67,260. Beside Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay ($103,020), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics is +3%. Projected annual openings: about 3,500. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics? ▼
Hawaii ($58,110), Alaska ($60,190), Missouri ($55,120) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 49-3053. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics