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Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers

Typical education: High school diplomaLower pressure

What they do

Install, service, adjust, or repair coin, vending, or amusement machines including video games, juke boxes, pinball machines, or slot machines.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $47,450 Median per year · $22.81/hr Most earn $34,320–$66,370

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Maintain records of machine maintenance and repair.
  • Adjust and repair coin, vending, or amusement machines and meters and replace defective mechanical and electrical parts, using hand tools, soldering irons, and diagrams.
  • Clean and oil machine parts.
  • Record transaction information on forms or logs, and notify designated personnel of discrepancies.
  • Disassemble and assemble machines, according to specifications and using hand and power tools.
  • Install machines, making the necessary water and electrical connections in compliance with codes.

Job outlook

United States
3% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 3,800 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Self-employed (their own business)23.4%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals13.7%
  • Gambling industries (except casino hotels)11.2%
  • Grocery and specialty food retailers10.0%
  • Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods9.0%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

This is a job you can start after high school. Most people learn it on the job, usually spending about six months to a year as a trainee or helper before working on machines on their own. Pay varies by location, and you can see typical pay near you and nationally on this career's page.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build math, electronics, and hands-on shop skills, since these are the foundation for fixing coin-operated and amusement machines.

  2. Vending Machine Servicer Helper

    6 months-1 year

    Work alongside an experienced servicer to stock, clean, and take apart machines, and learn how their coin mechanisms, circuit boards, and motors work.

  3. Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicer

    Ongoing

    Install, adjust, and repair machines on your own, often on a service route that includes driving between locations.

Where it can lead

  1. Vending Route Supervisor

    3-5 years of experience first

    You would oversee a team of servicers, plan routes, handle customer issues, and train new helpers. Strong problem-solving and people skills help you move up.

  2. Industrial Machinery Mechanic

    1-2 years in a related repair role, plus a certificate or apprenticeship of experience first

    You would move from small coin and game machines to larger industrial equipment, which usually requires formal training and a certificate or apprenticeship.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take shop, electronics, or automotive classesHands-on work with tools, wiring, and small motors builds the skills you'd use every day on machines.
  • Take math and basic physicsUnderstanding circuits, electricity, and mechanical force helps you diagnose why a machine isn't working.
  • Join a robotics or maker clubBuilding and troubleshooting projects with others gives you practice fixing things and working as a team.
  • Get a part-time or summer job at an arcade, store, or venue with machinesSeeing how coin and game machines are operated and maintained gives you real-world exposure to this work.
  • Volunteer at a community repair event or repair caféHelping fix household items builds troubleshooting experience and shows employers you can work with your hands.

In college

  • Take electronics, electrical, or mechatronics coursesCoursework in circuits and control systems prepares you to work on the electronic boards and sensors inside modern machines.
  • Get a part-time job in equipment or appliance repairRepair experience, even on different equipment, transfers well and shows employers you can diagnose and fix problems.
  • Look for an internship with a vending, gaming, or equipment service companyAn internship gives you direct experience with these machines and a chance to learn from experienced servicers.
  • Earn a basic certificate in electronics or equipment repairA short certificate from a community college or training program shows you have formal training before you apply.
  • Get a driver's license and a clean driving recordService routes often require driving to many locations, so employers value reliable transportation.

Tips for getting started

  • Get a driver's license if you can, since many servicer jobs involve driving a route to different locations.
  • Look for part-time work at an arcade, bowling alley, or store with vending machines, where you can see how the machines are kept running.
  • Keep a simple record of repairs you do, like a fixed game controller or a jammed vending machine, to show employers when you apply.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

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