Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers
In short: today's best AI models could do about 2% of this job's working time (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) if the work were set up for them, and about the same by the end of 2028 if progress keeps its long-run pace. The conversations, in-person and hands-on work, about 98% of the time, stays with people.
Help installation, maintenance, and repair workers in maintenance, parts replacement, and repair of vehicles, industrial machinery, and electrical and electronic equipment. Perform duties such as furnishing tools, materials, and supplies to other workers; cleaning work area, machines, and tools; and holding materials or tools for other workers.
95,580 people do this job in the US. $39,630 a year.
Reviewed on September 30, 2026: what each task is made of, and what handing it over would ask.
A typical 40-hour week
- AI could take on1 h
- A person checks AI's work0 h
- Desk work AI can't do yet0 h
- Stays with people39 h
Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, now: of a 40-hour week, AI could take on 1 hours, 0 hours become checking its work, 0 hours are desk work it can't do yet, and 39 hours stay with people.
The largest pieces: Order parts (under an hour); Weld and fabricate parts (under an hour, a person checks).
Estimates for a typical week of this job, if progress keeps its long-run pace, counting work the best models finish four times in five. Every task is below.
of the working time. Now is projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index.
- 1%
- 1%
- 0%
- 0%
- 98%
of the work: Anthropic's measure of what people already bring to Claude at work (2025). It counts help with part of a task, so it can be higher than the share within reach.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
Change assumptionsHide assumptionsLong-run pace, four in five
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 2.4 work days long four times in five.
What handing it over would take, now
The 2% within reach splits by what a model would need. The dates, pace and reliability follow the controls above. Estimates.
of the working time. The material can be handed to a model and the result handed back.
of the working time. The model has to be connected to the system the work lives in.
is conversation short enough by length. This site leaves conversation with people, so it is not in the total.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 2%. Today's estimate: 2%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
Measured use over time
Of the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled and tied to a work task, no reportable share went to this job's tasks in May 2026; 0 of its 16 tasks showed up. Within each of Anthropic's methods, never across a change: 0.0043% to 0.0017% (released February and March 2025); none to 0.0025% (August 2025 to February 2026).
Each release
| Conversations | Share | Rank | Tasks seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Released February 2025 | 0.0043% | 626 of 708 | 2 of 16 |
| Released March 2025 | 0.0017% | 689 of 703 | 1 of 16 |
| The week of Aug 4, 2025 (released September 2025) | none | n/a | 0 of 16 |
| The week of Nov 13, 2025 (released January 2026) | 0.0028% | 622 of 672 | 1 of 16 |
| The week of Feb 5, 2026 (released March 2026) | 0.0025% | 633 of 677 | 1 of 16 |
| April 2026 (released June 2026) | none | n/a | 0 of 16 |
| May 2026 (released June 2026) | none | n/a | 0 of 16 |
Measured, not estimated: Anthropic's samples of Claude.ai conversations, each tied by a model to an O*NET task, from the Anthropic Economic Index. It says where Claude's use goes, not how much of this job's working time it covers, so it is not on the same scale as the reach above. The releases differ in their sample, their classifier and the smallest share they report (the June 2026 file rounds each task to a hundredth of a percent, so a smaller task reads as none), which is why a change of method starts a new line. At least 96% of each older release's task-tied use matched this site's tasks, and all of the newest. Claude.ai only, so use through other tools and other companies' models is not in it. Every job ranked.
Robots and the physical work
Anthropic rates 98% of this job's working time as physical work. For 88% of the working time, a robot has been shown doing most of the task somewhere: 74% in a purpose-built cell, 14% in a structured facility. 1.01 of 3, the 115th highest of the 923 jobs.
- Not physical 2%
- No robot shown 10%
- In a purpose-built cell 74%
- In a structured facility 14%
Anthropic's rating, not this site's estimate: Claude Opus 5, searching the web, rated each physical O*NET task by the kind of setting in which a robot it could cite (deployed, sold or demonstrated) does most of the task, weighted by its own estimate of each task's share of the time (What work can robots do?, September 30, 2026, data CC BY 4.0; every job ranked). A robot shown somewhere is not a robot in your building: cost, setup and safety decide that. The share within reach on this page still counts no body work. The robot behind each rated task is under the task below.
What changes for the people in this job
From the task-by-task review, by the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five. It says which parts of the work stay with people and which change, not whether anyone keeps a job: that depends on decisions no data set can see.
What stays with people
98% of the working time: the conversation, in-person and hands-on parts of the tasks.
- Install or replace parts, the hands-on work, 14%
- Diagnose and rewire electrical components, the hands-on work, 12%
- Adjust and repair tools and machines, the hands-on work, 10%
- Assemble physical structures, the hands-on work, 9%
- Position equipment for installation, the hands-on work, 9%
- Connect wiring and piping, the hands-on work, 7%
What becomes checking the machine
1% of the working time: desk work a model could do by then, in tasks where a mistake costs something or a licensed person signs. A person checks it. Another 1% is desk work that is small if wrong, which can be handed over with lighter checks.
- Weld and fabricate parts, severe if wrong, 1.0%
What to learn
- The hands-on craft. About 98% of the time is hands-on work, which no model here does; robots are rated separately on this page.
- Judgment where errors are severe. Some tasks are severe if wrong. Knowing when not to trust an output matters more there than speed.
- Reviewing work you did not do yourself. The tasks under What becomes checking the machine, where a mistake costs something, stay a person's to check: spotting what a draft gets wrong is a skill of its own.
Your own version of this job: read it against your job description. The headline is free; the full personal report, every task with its timeline and what to learn, is $19 (a sample).
The tasks
Sorted by . 16 tasks from .
| Task | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Install or replace machinery, equipment, and new or replacement parts and instruments, using hand or power tools.Parts and instruments installed with tools.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, IBG Automation automated wheel assembly system (KUKA robots + Matrox Iris GT smart cameras) (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 14% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Diagnose electrical problems and install and rewire electrical components.Electrical faults found and components rewired.Done several times a day by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Kablator MPC 325 automatic robotic wiring machine (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 12% | 1.7 h38 min to 4.2 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Adjust, maintain, and repair tools, equipment, and machines, and assist more skilled workers with similar tasks.Repairs by hand, helping the skilled workers.Done more than weekly by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 10% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Assemble and maintain physical structures, using hand or power tools.Structures built with hand and power tools.Done daily by most who do it.Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 9% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Position vehicles, machinery, equipment, physical structures, and other objects for assembly or installation, using hand tools, power tools, and moving equipment.Machinery and structures moved into position.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, MWES engine cylinder liner insert automation cell (Midwest Engineered Systems Inc.) (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 9% | 50 min17 min to 2.5 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Adjust, connect, or disconnect wiring, piping, tubing, and other parts, using hand or power tools.Wiring, piping and tubing connected with tools.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Averex robotic wiring centre (Kiesling / Rittal Automation Systems) (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 7% | 50 min17 min to 2.5 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Disassemble broken or defective equipment to facilitate repair and reassemble equipment when repairs are complete.Equipment taken apart and put back together.Done more than weekly by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, DeMoBat industrial battery disassembly cell (KUKA KR QUANTEC) (Fraunhofer IPA / KUKA) (demonstrated). Anthropic's rating. | 7% | 1.3 h25 min to 4.2 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Examine and test machinery, equipment, components, and parts for defects to ensure proper functioning.Machinery and parts tested for defects.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Spot (with Spot CAM+IR and acoustic imaging payload, Orbit software) (Boston Dynamics) (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 6% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Clean or lubricate vehicles, machinery, equipment, instruments, tools, work areas, and other objects, using hand tools, power tools, and cleaning equipment.Cleaning and oiling by hand and machine.Done more than weekly by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Avidbots Neo 2W (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 5% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Design, weld, and fabricate parts, using blueprints or other mechanical plans.Parts welded and made to the blueprint.Done more than yearly by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Path Robotics AW-3 / AF-1 Robotic Welding Cells (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 5% | 2.5 h50 min to 6.7 h | Hands-on 80%, documents 20% | 19%Desk part half by now |
| Hold or supply tools, parts, equipment, and supplies for other workers.Tools and parts held for other workers.Done more than weekly by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, NEO (1X Technologies) (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 4% | 25 min8 min to 1.3 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Tend and observe equipment and machinery to verify efficient and safe operation.Watching machinery for safe operation.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a structured facility, Boston Dynamics Spot with Spot CAM+IR / acoustic payload and Orbit (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 3% | 25 min13 min to 1.3 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach. Made of: how the task's time splits among five kinds of doing. Only the documents and systems parts can count as within reach, so a task that is 30% documents can be at most 30% within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Helpers--Production Workers4% now, 4% by 2028
- Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters0% now, 0% by 2028
- Helpers--Electricians1% now, 1% by 2028
- Helpers--Extraction Workers0% now, 0% by 2028
- Helpers--Carpenters0% now, 0% by 2028
- Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons0% now, 0% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).
Questions about this job
- How much of the work of Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers is within reach of AI now?
- An estimated 2% of the working time is within reach of AI models now and 2% by the end of 2028, on METR's long-run pace at four in five. Within reach means a model could finish work that long at that reliability. It is not a forecast of jobs lost or of savings.
- Which tasks of Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers come within reach first?
- Weighted by the time each takes, the tasks with the most within reach now (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) are: Order parts (70% of the task's time now); and Weld and fabricate parts (19% of the task's time now).
- Which tasks of Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers stay with people?
- Tasks that are people work or body work are not counted as within reach at any date. The largest: Install or replace parts; Diagnose and rewire electrical components; and Adjust and repair tools and machines. Together such tasks are about 93% of the working time, and the people and body parts of the other tasks stay with people too.
- What should Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers learn as AI takes on more of the work?
- By the job's own task-by-task review, the first things to learn are the hands-on craft; judgment where errors are severe; and reviewing work you did not do yourself. By the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five, about 98% of the working time stays with people, 1% becomes checking a model's work and 1% could be handed over with lighter checks. It says which parts of the work change, never whether anyone keeps a job.
- Do people already use AI for the work of Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers?
- In the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled for May 2026, no reportable share went to this job's tasks. Anthropic's labor market measure puts the share of the job's tasks seen in real Claude use at work at 0%. These are measures of use, not of how much of the work AI could finish, and they cover Claude only.
- Can robots do the physical work of Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers?
- Anthropic's robot exposure rating (September 2026) finds 98% of the working time is physical work, and that a robot has been shown doing most of the task, somewhere, for 88% of the working time, 14% in a structured facility. Its index is 1.01 of 3. One example: Boston Dynamics Spot with Spot CAM+IR / acoustic payload and Orbit for "tend and watch equipment". A robot shown somewhere is not one in every workplace; this site's own estimates still count no physical work as within reach.
- How is this estimated?
- From the 16 tasks O*NET lists for the occupation, each with an estimated length checked against GDPval and a share of the working time, reviewed one task at a time on September 30, 2026 for what each is made of (documents, business systems, conversation, in person, hands-on), and METR's measurements of how long a task the best AI models can finish, carried forward to the date from the latest, Claude Mythos Preview (early) in April 2026. Data checked November 10, 2026.
This job in your state or metro area
Embed these figures on your site
A small card with the share of working time within reach now and at the end of 2027, 2028 and 2030, the date and a link back. Free under CC BY 4.0; the card carries the credit.
Your own version of this job
The page above is the occupation. Your job is your title and what you actually do: give both, and they are read against these tasks in your browser, nothing sent anywhere. The headline is free: how much of your working time is within reach now and by the end of 2028, and how many of the tasks your description names.
The full personal report is $19, to print or save as a PDF: every task with when it comes within reach, which ones your description names, the parts of your description the task list does not cover, what stays with you, what becomes checking the machine and what to learn.