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Field service technician for vending machines: pay, outlook and how to enter

Updated October 29, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$47,450median pay per year, or $22.81 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $34,320lowest 10% earn less
  2. $39,76025th percentile
  3. $47,450median
  4. $58,11075th percentile
  5. $66,370top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[4]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[5]

Coin, vending and amusement machine servicers and repairers had a median pay of $47,450 a year in May 2025[1]. Employment is projected to fall 3.4% from 2025 to 2035, while all occupations are projected to grow 3.5%[2][3].

Job growth, 2025–35
-3.4%[2]
Openings per year
3,800[6]
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent[7]

How much do field service technicians in this field make?

This page covers the BLS category Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers. The median wage was $47,450 a year, or $22.81 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The median for all occupations was $50,980[5], so this job sat a little below it. The average wage was $49,770 a year[8].

Annual pay across the range[4]:

Point in the range Annual wage Source
10th percentile[4] $34,320
25th percentile[4] $39,760
Median[1] $47,450
75th percentile[4] $58,110
90th percentile[4] $66,370

The lowest-paid 10% of workers earned less than $34,320[4]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[9]. In hourly terms, the 10th percentile was $16.50 and the 90th was $31.91[10].

These numbers cover people paid a wage or salary. They leave out the self-employed and the cost of benefits[11]. About 26,410 people held such jobs[12].

Pay by state and city

Rhode Island had the highest state median at $62,350, on 70 jobs[13]. New York ($60,010) and New Jersey ($59,770) followed[13]. Ohio had the lowest listed median at $37,950[13].

California had the most jobs, at 2,810, then Illinois with 2,010 and Pennsylvania with 1,780[14]. Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ had the highest median at $63,410, followed by New York-Newark-Jersey City at $62,970[15]. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin had the most metro jobs, at 1,670[16].

Show median pay in 48 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
Rhode Island[13]$62,35070
New York$60,0101,450
New Jersey$59,770550
Washington$58,750580
Arizona$56,450990
Oregon$56,100310
Massachusetts$54,38070
Tennessee$53,270160
Alaska$52,04060
California$51,8702,810
Nevada$51,2101,620
Connecticut$50,120170
Wisconsin$50,050630
Texas$49,9601,560
Maryland$49,860290
Minnesota$49,570360
North Dakota$48,870210
New Hampshire$48,71080
Florida$48,4301,350
Delaware$48,350n/a
Oklahoma$48,160920
Montana$47,670150
Nebraska$47,52080
Maine$47,16050
South Carolina$47,120240
Michigan$46,980430
Arkansas$46,94060
Louisiana$46,770300
Pennsylvania$46,6001,780
Utah$46,570130
North Carolina$46,010520
Kansas$45,750220
Iowa$45,740380
Colorado$45,600290
Illinois$45,5602,010
Georgia$45,360470
Wyoming$45,190100
Virginia$44,720420
Indiana$44,280640
Missouri$44,220570
New Mexico$43,860240
South Dakota$43,860290
Idaho$43,230140
Kentucky$42,150190
Mississippi$41,040260
Alabama$40,670420
West Virginia$38,190170
Ohio$37,9501,450

How to get into this job

BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education. It lists no work experience in a related job and short-term on-the-job training[7].

In an ONET survey of 20 workers, 92% said a high school diploma or the equivalent is required, and 8% said a post-secondary certificate[17]. ONET places the job in Job Zone 1-2, which means very little to some preparation needed[18]. The facts here do not name any license or exam.

What these technicians do

O*NET describes the work as installing, servicing, adjusting or repairing coin, vending or amusement machines, such as video games, juke boxes, pinball machines or slot machines[19]. Typical tasks include[20]:

Workers report job titles such as vending mechanic, slot technician and field service technician[21].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to decline 3.4% from 2025 to 2035, from about 34,700 to 33,500 jobs[2]. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%[3]. These counts include self-employed workers, and 23.4% of workers in this field were self-employed in 2025[2][22]. The wage and salary count of 26,410 counts only paid employees[12][11].

Even with a decline, about 3,800 openings a year are projected[6]. Openings include jobs left by people who retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs[6]. Each year, 6.2% of workers leave the labor force and 5.2% move to a different occupation[23].

Is it a good fit?

The facts describe a job with a low entry bar: a high school diploma or equivalent and short-term training[7]. Pay is a bit below the all-occupation median[1][5], and employment is projected to shrink[2]. Openings still occur because workers leave or change jobs[6][23]. Pay varies by state, from $62,350 in Rhode Island to $37,950 in Ohio[13].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[24].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a vending machine technician make a year?
The median wage for coin, vending and amusement machine servicers and repairers was $47,450 a year in May 2025[1]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $34,320 and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $66,370[4].
How much does a field service technician make an hour in this field?
The median was $22.81 an hour[1]. The 10th percentile was $16.50 and the 90th was $31.91[10].
What education do you need to service vending machines?
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical, with short-term on-the-job training[7].
Is this job in demand?
Employment is projected to decline 3.4% from 2025 to 2035[2]. About 3,800 openings a year are still projected[6].
What is the highest paying state for this job?
Rhode Island had the highest median at $62,350, based on 70 jobs[13]. New York was next at $60,010[13].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers in the US was $47,450 per year and $22.81 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers is projected to decline 3.4% from 2025 to 2035, from about 34,700 to 33,500 jobs (a change of -1,200). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers: 10th percentile $34,320, 25th percentile $39,760, 75th percentile $58,110, 90th percentile $66,370. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 3,800 openings for Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers was $49,770 per year and $23.93 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers: 10th percentile $16.50, 25th percentile $19.11, 75th percentile $27.94, 90th percentile $31.91. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 26,410 people were employed as Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. Median annual wage for Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers jobs: California 2,810; Illinois 2,010; Pennsylvania 1,780; Nevada 1,620; Texas 1,560. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers (areas with at least 100 jobs): Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ $63,410; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $62,970; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $61,370; Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $60,160; Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $59,860; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $59,060; Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI $58,940; Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $57,550. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers jobs: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 1,670 (median $45,560); Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV 1,220 (median $56,990); New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 1,070 (median $62,970); Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 770 (median $47,920); Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 700 (median $60,160); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 590 (median $50,390). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  17. O*NET 49-9091.00 survey of workers (20 respondents), education level they say is required: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 92%, Post-Secondary Certificate 8% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET 49-9091.00: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. O*NET OnLine
  19. O*NET description of Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers. O*NET OnLine
  20. O*NET task list for Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers. O*NET OnLine
  21. O*NET 49-9091.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Cooler Deliverer, Field Service Technician, Fountain Vending Mechanic, Full Service Vending Driver, Refurbish Technician, Service Technician, Slot Technician, Vending Mechanic. O*NET OnLine
  22. BLS Employment Projections: 23.4% of Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  23. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers: 6.2% of workers leave the labor force each year and 5.2% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  24. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.