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Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians: Career Overview
Diagnose, inspect, adjust, repair, or overhaul recreational vehicles including travel trailers. May specialize in maintaining gas, electrical, hydraulic, plumbing, or chassis/towing systems as well as repairing generators, appliances, and interior components. Includes workers who perform customized van conversions.
What Tasks Do Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians Do?
The core tasks performed by recreational vehicle service technicians cover:
- Diagnose and repair furnace or air conditioning systems.
- Connect electrical systems to outside power sources, and activate switches to test the operation of appliances or light fixtures.
- Examine or test operation of parts or systems to ensure completeness of repairs.
- Repair plumbing or propane gas lines, using caulking compounds and plastic or copper pipe.
- Inspect recreational vehicles to diagnose problems and perform necessary adjustment, repair, or overhaul.
- Locate and repair frayed wiring, broken connections, or incorrect wiring, using ohmmeters, soldering irons, tape, or hand tools.
- Confer with customers, read work orders, or examine vehicles needing repair to determine the nature and extent of damage.
- Repair leaks with caulking compound or replace pipes, using pipe wrenches.
What Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians Need to Know
Top recreational vehicle service technicians rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- ATV Tech (All-Terrain Vehicle Technician)
- Certified RV Technician (Certified Recreational Vehicle Technician)
- Custom Van Converter
- Global Vehicle Technician (Global Vehicle Tech)
- Hitch Technician (Hitch Tech)
- Mobile Service RV Technician (Mobile Service Recreational Vehicle Technician)
- Mobile Van Technician (Mobile Van Tech)
- Motor Home Technician (Motor Home Tech)
How Many Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians Are There?
There are roughly 223,440 recreational vehicle service technicians working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +2.4% over the projection horizon.
Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $48,169 |
| Hourly median | $23.16 |
| 10th percentile | $30,538 |
| 25th percentile | $39,353 |
| 75th percentile | $56,985 |
| 90th percentile | $65,800 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Nevada | $64,080 |
| Oklahoma | $62,600 |
| Indiana | $60,330 |
| Massachusetts | $60,200 |
| California | $59,930 |
| New Jersey | $59,490 |
| Virginia | $58,660 |
| Oregon | $57,910 |
| Alaska | $57,290 |
| Washington | $57,170 |
| Florida | $56,110 |
| New Hampshire | $55,120 |
| South Carolina | $55,020 |
| Minnesota | $52,260 |
| Connecticut | $51,660 |
| Tennessee | $51,550 |
| Ohio | $51,540 |
| Utah | $51,300 |
| New Mexico | $51,020 |
| Colorado | $50,790 |
| Arizona | $50,480 |
| Maine | $50,470 |
| Idaho | $50,340 |
| New York | $49,930 |
| North Dakota | $49,110 |
| Iowa | $49,090 |
| Wisconsin | $48,480 |
| Texas | $48,220 |
| North Carolina | $48,190 |
| Nebraska | $47,950 |
| Vermont | $47,620 |
| Delaware | $46,790 |
| Montana | $46,780 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,460 |
| Illinois | $46,450 |
| Arkansas | $46,270 |
| Michigan | $45,830 |
| Missouri | $45,710 |
| Georgia | $45,440 |
| Kentucky | $44,940 |
| Mississippi | $44,010 |
| Kansas | $43,340 |
| Louisiana | $39,520 |
| South Dakota | $37,440 |
| Alabama | $37,070 |
| West Virginia | $36,330 |
Where Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians Earn the Most
Pay for recreational vehicle service technicians differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $59,407 | 18.2% | 1.32 |
| New England | $56,979 | 3.4% | 0.88 |
| Great Lakes | $53,087 | 15.5% | 1.72 |
| Rocky Mountains | $50,745 | 6.7% | 2.41 |
| Southeast | $50,580 | 22.2% | 1.08 |
| Middle Atlantic | $50,085 | 4.8% | 0.37 |
| Southwest | $49,891 | 23.2% | 2.04 |
| Plains States | $48,247 | 6.0% | 1.15 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City, OK | OK | $70,650 | 100 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | CA | $67,490 | 60 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $66,770 | 110 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | IN | $66,470 | 530 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | CA | $66,280 | 40 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | NV | $64,460 | 200 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | FL | $64,260 | 120 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | WA | $64,100 | 60 |
Which Industries Hire Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians
Most recreational vehicle service technicians are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Trade | 13,230 | $50,590 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 3,190 | $47,840 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 1,050 | $58,780 |
| Manufacturing | 900 | $59,010 |
| Wholesale Trade | 230 | $36,960 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 50 | $51,110 |
Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians work in the following industries:
Tools and Technology
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for recreational vehicle service technicians tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled
- Spend Time Standing
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
Education and Training
Entry-level recreational vehicle service technicians positions require less than a high school diploma as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (Supplemental)
- Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers (Supplemental)
- Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers (Primary-Short)
- Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment (Supplemental)
- Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles (Supplemental)
- Automotive Body and Related Repairers (Supplemental)
- Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics (Primary-Long)
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (Primary-Short)
Where to Study
Future recreational vehicle service technicians commonly pursue programs in:
Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 49-3092.00 (Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians).