Repair, adjust, or install all types of electric or gas household appliances, such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, and ovens.
Median pay ranges from $34,320 to $86,940 depending on the metro. Most people train through: moderate-term on-the-job training. Job growth and openings are national figures. Thinking of working for yourself? See the best cities to start an appliance repair technician business.
Nationally, appliance repair technicians have 327 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 3.8× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is overexertion and repetitive strain.
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Registered apprenticeships
Of appliance repair technician apprentices nationally who finished or left a registered program in fiscal years 2020–2024, 40% completed, about 56 graduates a year. The typical program runs 5,400 hours, about 3 years of full-time work. Union programs had a 86% completion rate, compared with 33% for non-union programs.
U.S. Department of Labor, RAPIDS apprentice records (Completion Rate Analysis), FY2020–2024 exits.
What the work is like Government data
How often appliance repair technicians deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Highest-paying metros
Best real pay after local prices
What the median buys once each metro's price level is factored in.
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
Best-paying states Government data
Statewide, appliance repair technicians earn the most in Massachusetts ($70,750) and the least in West Virginia ($35,720), a gap of $35,030 a year.
BLS OEWS statewide medians, May 2025.
Appliance Repair Technician pay by state
Compare with another trade
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