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Manufactured Building and Mobile Home Installers

Typical education: High school diplomaHigh pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Move or install mobile homes or prefabricated buildings.

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.

High 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 $45,990 Median per year · $22.11/hr Most earn $27,120–$60,810

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Locate and repair frayed wiring, broken connections, or incorrect wiring, using ohmmeters, soldering irons, tape, and hand tools.
  • Remove damaged exterior panels, repair and replace structural frame members, and seal leaks, using hand tools.
  • Refinish wood surfaces on cabinets, doors, moldings, and floors, using power sanders, putty, spray equipment, brushes, paints, or varnishes.
  • Reset hardware, using chisels, mallets, and screwdrivers.
  • Open and close doors, windows, and drawers to test their operation, trimming edges to fit, using jackplanes or drawknives.
  • Remove damaged exterior panels, repair and replace structural frame members, and seal leaks, using hand tools.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
6% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 300 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

  • Other miscellaneous retailers36.8%
  • Other wood product manufacturing15.6%
  • Self-employed (their own business)14.9%
  • Temporary help services2.6%

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

You can start this job with a high school diploma, and most people build up to it through about 6 months to 1 year of hands-on work, often as a helper on a crew. Because it's a hands-on trade, you learn most of it on the job.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school with strong math and shop or technical classes, which help with measuring, reading plans, and working with tools.

  2. Construction Laborer

    6 months to 1 year

    Work on job sites doing basic tasks like lifting, carrying materials, and cleaning up, while learning how buildings go together and how crews work safely.

  3. Manufactured Building and Mobile Home Installer

    Ongoing

    Move, level, anchor, and set up mobile homes or prefabricated buildings on sites, usually learning the details from experienced installers on the job.

Where it can lead

  1. Lead Installer

    3-5 years of experience first

    Lead a small installation crew, plan the work, and check that setups meet the required standards, which takes more experience and good judgment.

  2. Carpenter

    1-2 years of helper or installer experience of experience first

    Use your building and measuring skills on a wider range of projects, such as framing, finish work, and repairs, often after learning more formal carpentry skills.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take shop, woodworking, or drafting classesThese teach you to read plans, use measuring tools, and work safely, which are the everyday skills installers need.
  • Take math classes, especially geometry and algebraMeasuring, leveling, and calculating angles and weights come up often on installation jobs.
  • Get a summer or part-time job on a construction or landscaping crewSeeing how a job site works and taking direction from a crew gives you real experience employers look for.
  • Join a technical or trades club, like a building trades or SkillsUSA-style group if your school has oneClubs build teamwork skills and can connect you with local trades professionals.
  • Get a driver's license and learn basic vehicle safetyMany installation jobs involve driving or towing, so this is a useful early step.

In college

  • Take courses in construction technology or building tradesCommunity college or trade school courses can teach blueprint reading, building codes, and job site safety.
  • Work a part-time job on a construction, moving, or housing crewSteady hands-on work builds the experience that installers typically need before taking on this role.
  • Look into short certificate programs in site preparation or basic constructionA certificate can show employers you have formal training, even though this career doesn't usually require a degree.
  • Learn basic safety training, such as OSHA-style workplace safety coursesSafety knowledge is valued on construction sites and can help you stand out when applying.
  • Join a campus trades or construction clubClub involvement helps you meet people in the field and learn about local job openings.

Tips for getting started

  • Talk to local manufactured housing dealers or installers and ask whether they hire helpers or entry-level workers; many train new people on the job.
  • Get a valid driver's license early, since installers often drive trucks or tow equipment, and find out what local permits or certifications apply in your area.
  • College isn't usually required for this career, so focus on hands-on experience and reliability, which employers value most.

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.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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