Things break and need to be repaired. An appliance technician is the person who gets called upon to fix refrigerators, washing machines, ovens, and other major appliances. If you enjoy working with your hands, a career as a repair technician may be the right choice for you. Learn more about the career path to becoming an appliance technician and what you need to do.
What Are Types of Appliance Repair Technician Jobs?
Appliance repair technicians typically specialize in one type of appliance or another. For example, one repair technician may work on washing machines and laundry equipment while another focuses on ovens and stoves.
You can break down appliance technician jobs into household and commercial appliances. If you pursue a career as an oven repair technician, you may focus on ovens found in restaurants other commercial kitchens, or home ovens.
As “smart home” technology continues to grow in popularity, appliance technician jobs may become even more specialized.
Depending on the path you take, you may work on-site for a company, such as repairing the appliances in a hotel or hospital, or you may visit people’s homes to repair household appliances. You may also find a job where you’re responsible for repairing appliances across multiple buildings, such as on a college campus or with an apartment leasing company.
What Is a Typical Appliance Repair Technician Salary?
How much an appliance technician earns depends on the industry they work in and the type of appliances they repair. The median salary for technicians across all industries was $44,980 in May 2022. Technicians working in manufacturing tended to have the highest annual salaries, $53,100, while those in food services had the lowest salaries, $35,900.
Useful Skills for an Appliance Repair Technician
Appliance technicians work with customers and the machines they repair, so a combination of people skills and manual dexterity are must-haves for the job.
On the people skills side of things, it’s helpful to have good customer service skills. That means being able to answer people’s questions with a smile and to communicate issues or problems clearly.
On the mechanical side of things, appliance technicians need good hand-eye coordination, a steady hand, and good troubleshooting skills.
How to Become an Appliance Repair Technician
You may not need advanced training to become an appliance repair technician, but pursuing a career certificate can help give you a leg up as you enter the field.
A career certificate program will introduce you to the technical skills required to repair appliances and as well as the interpersonal skills needed to succeed on the job.
You can complete a career certificate in about one year, after which you’ll be ready to apply for entry-level appliance repair technician jobs.
The Future for Appliance Technicians
As technology evolves and grows, so will the need for repair technicians. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment of appliance technicians to grow by about 4% over the next 10 years.
In some cases, older technicians will reach retirement age and leave the profession, leaving openings for younger technicians. As houses and appliances age, they are also likely to need more repairs, increasing the opportunities for repair technicians.
Ready to get on the path toward a career as an appliance technician? Contact Orange Technical College today to learn more about our career certificate program and the steps to enrollment.