Handymen and maintenance workers in New York: licensing, jobs, pay and local data

124,640 people work as handymen and maintenance workers in New York, and the median pay is $56,180 a year (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).

The Census Bureau counts 13,427 residential remodeling businesses with employees in New York (2023 County Business Patterns).

That is 15.6 businesses per 10,000 homes, against 9.4 nationally.

New York ranks 5 of 51 states for median pay in this trade.

It ranks 6 of 51 for businesses per 10,000 homes.

Figures last updated on .

Jobs
124,640
Median pay, a year
$56,180
Businesses with employees
13,427

Handymen and maintenance workers in New York: businesses and jobs

Census Bureau 2023; Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2024
New YorkUnited States
Businesses with employees13,427135,337
Their employees44,307480,272
Annual payroll$2,507,654,000$27,353,358,000
Payroll per employee$56,597$56,954
Businesses per 10,000 homes15.69.4
Jobs124,6401,531,700
Jobs per 1,000 jobs13.06—
Location quotient (1.00 = the national share)1.311.00

A location quotient above 1 means the trade’s share of all jobs is larger here than nationally.

What handymen and maintenance workers earn in New York

May 2024, US Bureau of Labor Statistics
New YorkUnited States
Median pay, a year$56,180$48,620
Median pay, an hour$27.01$23.38
10th percentile$37,120$33,860
25th percentile$44,970$39,050
75th percentile$68,220$61,710
90th percentile$83,600$76,110
Average pay, a year$58,290$52,430

Handymen and maintenance workers by county in New York

Businesses with employees, 2023 County Business Patterns
CountyBusinesses with employeesTheir employeesBusinesses per 10,000 homes
Queens County2,0317,75422.3
Suffolk County1,8875,31832.5
Kings County1,3784,52512.5
Nassau County1,3703,98828.6
Westchester County9953,12125.2
New York County5003,2685.4
Erie County4981,70411.3
Richmond County4001,17821.7
Bronx County3881,3856.9
Monroe County3821,20511.3
Rockland County3361,12130.8
Orange County3301,18122.0
Dutchess County24962720.2
Onondaga County22485110.6
Ulster County16647219.2
Putnam County16150741.9
Albany County15739910.6
Saratoga County15649313.9
Niagara County12028811.9
Oneida County891628.4
Rensselaer County8625811.5
Broome County852699.1
Sullivan County7522215.0
Oswego County7216013.1
Ontario County7021413.1
Schenectady County662389.3
Columbia County6323718.9
Jefferson County611859.9
Wayne County6014914.1
St. Lawrence County5214310.0
Steuben County5212010.9
Chautauqua County501847.5
Cayuga County499113.3
Tompkins County4922310.3
Essex County4717718.4
Madison County4210513.7
Warren County40979.9
Chemung County391299.9
Greene County3710512.7
Franklin County3612614.1
Fulton County358512.4
Washington County345711.6
Clinton County32798.5
Genesee County3211612.2
Cattaraugus County31657.7
Livingston County319911.3
Orleans County315516.9
Wyoming County288415.3
Montgomery County2711611.7
Cortland County269012.5
Herkimer County22346.8
Otsego County18586.0
Yates County189013.6
Delaware County17535.7
Lewis County173110.9
Seneca County16449.9
Chenango County15526.1
Schoharie County13237.8
Tioga County12305.4
Allegany County10134.2

Showing the 60 counties with the most businesses, of 62.

The homes behind the work in New York

Estimate (90% margin of error)
New YorkUnited States
Households that rent45.7% (±0.2 points)34.8%
Homes built before 194030.3% (±0.1 points)11.7%
Homes in buildings of 20 or more units25.1% (±0.1 points)10.3%
Housing units8,585,241 (±652)143,775,355

Licenses for handymen and maintenance workers in New York

New York sets its own licenses for this trade, and many cities and counties add their own; the US Department of Labor’s License Finder lists each license New York requires and the agency that issues it.

Before work starts, the local building department says which permits the job needs and which license the person pulling them must hold.

Federal rules and model codes for handymen and maintenance workers

These federal rules apply to this work in every state, and the model codes below are adopted state by state; each is linked to its official text.

Business counts are establishments: a company with offices in two counties is counted in each.

Jobs and pay are for the occupation in every industry, so they include people employed by builders, property managers and governments as well as by contractors.

What you can do on Seayora in New York

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Questions about New York

How much do handymen and maintenance workers make in New York?

The median pay for handymen and maintenance workers in New York is $56,180 a year, against $48,620 nationally (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).

How many handymen and maintenance workers work in New York?

124,640 people work as handymen and maintenance workers in New York, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2024 count of jobs.

How many residential remodeling businesses are in New York?

The Census Bureau counts 13,427 residential remodeling businesses with employees in New York (2023 County Business Patterns).

Do handymen and maintenance workers need a license in New York?

New York sets its own licenses for this trade, and many cities and counties add their own; the US Department of Labor’s License Finder lists each license New York requires and the agency that issues it.

Sources

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them. Rules are summarized from their official text, which governs; this page is not legal advice, and a state or city may add requirements of its own.

Figures last updated on .

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