S.F. maintenance workers’ pay jumps

Maintenance workers across the country saw higher pay growth in August, with those in San Francisco experiencing a larger increase than the national average, according to a new report by Mill Valley job-rating site Glassdoor.

In 10 cities where Glassdoor conducted surveys, San Francisco maintenance worker saw the highest year-over-year wage growth at 8.2 percent.

“As workplace automation continues to expand, so too will” demand for maintenance workers, Glassdoor chief economist Andrew Chamberlain wrote in a blog post. “This is especially relevant as e-commerce demand continues to build.”

Glassdoor defines maintenance workers as those who fix and maintain equipment, machines and facilities.

More consumers ordering products online has led to a rise in related jobs, from delivery truck drivers to warehouse employees, said Alison Sullivan, a Glassdoor data and economics communications manager.

A major factor in the increase in maintenance worker wages is the tight labor market, Sullivan said. With fewer people unemployed, employers have raised pay to entice workers.

Broadly speaking, jobs with relatively low pay are seeing larger wage growth, Glassdoor found. Baristas, bartenders and cashiers also experienced higher than average wage increases this year, the report showed. The national average for baristas’ wage growth was 4.8 percent year-over-year; it

was 6.5 percent for bartenders.

Another factor, Chamberlain said, may be state and local minimum wage increases this year — along with the low unemployment accompanying the booming economy.

Maintenance workers’ pay growth in San Francisco can be mostly attributed to the Bay Area’s high cost of living, Sullivan said.

“A lot of times people talk about automation and what impact does that have on people’s jobs, but I think this is a

“Folks like maintenance workers will still be needed to work alongside automated tools and fix machines when they stop running or break down.” Alison Sullivan, data and economics communications manager at Glassdoor

case where as we look at different ways to automate different functions, folks like maintenance workers will still be needed to work alongside automated tools and fix machines when they stop running or break down,” Sullivan said.

Paul Chinn / The Chronicle A maintenance worker cleans the Civic Center BART Station floor in June. Maintenance workers in San Francisco saw wage increases higher than the national average in August.

Mason Trinca / Special to The Chronicle 2017 Left: BART custodian Lucy Villanueva cleans at Powell Street Station in July 2017. A tight labor market has led to higher wages for the city’s maintenance workers.