Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations

O*NET-SOC code: 49-3053.00

Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul small engines used to power lawn mowers, chain saws, recreational sporting equipment, and related equipment.

Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Low· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery high
Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
Source dataset (XLSX download)
Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745
Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
Source dataset (CSV download)
Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.17–0.18· 2 ISCO-08 groups
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
Source dataset (PDF download)

What kind of figure this source publishes

The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.

ILO value for each linked ISCO-08 group

ISCO-08 7231Motor Vehicle Mechanics and Repairers0.18
ISCO-08 7412Electrical Mechanics and Fitters0.17

Task-level exposure

Show 13 hidden tasks

14 rated tasks · 3 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (21.4%)

β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.

Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.

Source: OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
Release: gh-main-0471612
License: MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI

Task (O*NET 20.1)	APIRaw / share %
Obtain problem descriptions from customers, and prepare cost estimates for repairs. 49-3053.00	0.0016100.0

Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.

Task (O*NET 27.2)	βE1 + 0.5 × E2
Record repairs made, time spent, and parts used. O*NET Task ID 13777	1.0
Obtain problem descriptions from customers, and prepare cost estimates for repairs. O*NET Task ID 13779	1.0
Sell parts and equipment. O*NET Task ID 13782	0.5

β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.

Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page

All O*NET 31.0 task statements (14)

All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.

Task (O*NET 31.0)	Type
Repair and maintain gasoline engines used to power equipment such as portable saws, lawn mowers, generators, and compressors.	Core
Adjust points, valves, carburetors, distributors, and spark plug gaps, using feeler gauges.	Core
Reassemble engines after repair or maintenance work is complete.	Core
Record repairs made, time spent, and parts used.	Core
Perform routine maintenance such as cleaning and oiling parts, honing cylinders, and tuning ignition systems.	Core
Obtain problem descriptions from customers, and prepare cost estimates for repairs.	Core
Test and inspect engines to determine malfunctions, to locate missing and broken parts, and to verify repairs, using diagnostic instruments.	Core
Repair or replace defective parts such as magnetos, water pumps, gears, pistons, and carburetors, using hand tools.	Core
Sell parts and equipment.	Core
Show customers how to maintain equipment.	Core
Dismantle engines, using hand tools, and examine parts for defects.	Core
Replace motors.	Core
Grind, ream, rebore, and re-tap parts to obtain specified clearances, using grinders, lathes, taps, reamers, boring machines, and micrometers.	Core
Remove engines from equipment, and position and bolt engines to repair stands.	Core

Anthropic, "What work can robots do?"2026-09

0.27/ 3· Robot exposure index

0 none3 unstructured settings

Scale, basis and source

Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time

Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks

Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.

Source dataset

The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.

Tier of each physical task

Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)

E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site

Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.

Task (O*NET 29.3)	Robot environment tier
Repair and maintain gasoline engines used to power equipment such as portable saws, lawn mowers, generators, and compressors.	E0 none
Adjust points, valves, carburetors, distributors, and spark plug gaps, using feeler gauges.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Reassemble engines after repair or maintenance work is complete.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Perform routine maintenance such as cleaning and oiling parts, honing cylinders, and tuning ignition systems.	E0 none
Test and inspect engines to determine malfunctions, to locate missing and broken parts, and to verify repairs, using diagnostic instruments.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Repair or replace defective parts such as magnetos, water pumps, gears, pistons, and carburetors, using hand tools.	E0 none
Dismantle engines, using hand tools, and examine parts for defects.	E0 none
Replace motors.	E0 none
Grind, ream, rebore, and re-tap parts to obtain specified clearances, using grinders, lathes, taps, reamers, boring machines, and micrometers.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Remove engines from equipment, and position and bolt engines to repair stands.	E0 none

Employment outlook (BLS)

Employment, 2025: 38K
Projected employment, 2035: 39K
Change (2025–35): +2.3%
Median annual wage, 2025: $47,880
Typical education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent

lowest $30,890median wage across 825 detailed occupations, BLS EP 2025–35highest $559,030

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — Employment by detailed occupation, 2025 and projected 2035

Korea classification links (KSCO)

Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.

KSCO code	KSCO title	Relation	Status
75399	그 외 기계장비 설치 및 정비원	This occupation is narrower	confirmed
75343	지게차 정비원	Related, not a match	confirmed

Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)

ILO occupational description

AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.

ISCO-08 7231Motor Vehicle Mechanics and Repairers
ISCO-08 7412Electrical Mechanics and Fitters

Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits

ESCO occupational vocabulary

Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.

power tool repair technicianESCO 7412.9Same scope
Power tool repair technicians identify defects and repair electrically powered tools such as drills, chainsaws, lawn mowers and grinding machines. They disassemble, test and replace defective parts in tools. Power tools repair technicians advise customers on maintenance products and methods for their equipment. They may sell such products.

Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)

License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)

View original

ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.

France classification links (ROME)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.

ROME code	ROME title (French)	Relation
I1618	Mécanicien / Mécanicienne en matériels motorisés de parcs et jardins	Same scopeprovisional
I1107	Responsable d'atelier de mécanique parcs et jardins	Related, not a matchprovisional

Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.

ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)

Spain classification links (CNO-11)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.

CNO-11 code	CNO-11 title (Spanish)	Relation
7403	Mecánicos y ajustadores de maquinaria agrícola e industrial	This occupation is narrower

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)

Germany classification links (KldB)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.

KldB code	KldB title (German)	Relation
25222	Berufe in der Land- und Baumaschinentechnik - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten	This occupation is narrowerprovisional
25252	Berufe in der Zweiradtechnik - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten	Related, not a matchprovisional

Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)

Japan classification links (JSCO)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.

JSCO code	JSCO title (Japanese)	Relation
551	はん用・生産用・業務用機械器具整備・修理従事者	This occupation is narrowerprovisional

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)

Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources