Will “Instrument Repair Technician” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

91% Chance of Automation

“Instrument Repair Technician” will probably be replaced by robots.

This job is ranked #545 out of #702. A higher ranking (i.e., a lower number) means the job is less likely to be replaced.

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Job Description

Repair percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments. May specialize in one area, such as piano tuning.

Job Details

The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 49-9063.00
The Mean Annual Wage in the U.S. is $ 37,690.00
The Mean Hourly Wage is $ 18.00
Currently, there are 7,980 people on this job

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners”.

Also Known As…

Tasks for “Instrument Repair Technician”

Inspect instruments to locate defects, and to determine their value or the level of restoration required.
Remove irregularities from tuning pins, strings, and hammers of pianos, using wood blocks or filing tools.
Repair cracks in wood or metal instruments, using pinning wire, lathes, fillers, clamps, or soldering irons.
Remove dents and burrs from metal instruments, using mallets and burnishing tools.
Deliver pianos to purchasers or to locations of their use.
Polish instruments, using rags and polishing compounds, buffing wheels, or burnishing tools.
Replace xylophone bars and wheels.
Disassemble instruments and parts for repair and adjustment.
Adjust string tensions to tune instruments, using hand tools and electronic tuning devices.
Compare instrument pitches with tuning tool pitches to tune instruments.
Reassemble instruments following repair, using hand tools and power tools and glue, hair, yarn, resin, or clamps, and lubricate instruments as necessary.
Test tubes and pickups in electronic amplifier units, and solder parts and connections as necessary.
Make wood replacement parts, using woodworking machines and hand tools.
Solder posts and parts to hold them in their proper places.
Assemble bars onto percussion instruments.
Cut new drumheads from animal skins, using scissors, and soak drumheads in water to make them pliable.
Repair breaks in percussion instruments such as drums and cymbals, using drill presses, power saws, glue, clamps, grinding wheels, or other hand tools.
Remove drumheads by removing tension rods with drum keys and cutting tools.
Cut out sections around cracks on percussion instruments to prevent cracks from advancing, using shears or grinding wheels.
Adjust felt hammers on pianos to increase tonal mellowness or brilliance, using sanding paddles, lacquer, or needles.
Refinish and polish piano cabinets or cases to prepare them for sale.
Align pads and keys on reed or wind instruments.
Repair or replace musical instrument parts and components, such as strings, bridges, felts, and keys, using hand and power tools.
Refinish instruments to protect and decorate them, using hand tools, buffing tools, and varnish.
Place rim hoops back onto drum shells to allow new drumheads to dry and become taut.
Assemble and install new pipe organs and pianos in buildings.
Stretch drumheads over rim hoops and tuck them around and under the hoops, using hand tucking tools.
Remove material from bars of percussion instruments to obtain specified tones, using bandsaws, sanding machines, machine grinders, or hand files and scrapers.
Wash metal instruments in lacquer-stripping and cyanide solutions to remove lacquer and tarnish.
Play instruments to evaluate their sound quality and to locate any defects.
Clean, sand, and paint parts of percussion instruments to maintain their condition.
Mix and measure glue that will be used for instrument repair.
String instruments, and adjust trusses and bridges of instruments to obtain specified string tensions and heights.
Strike wood, fiberglass, or metal bars of instruments, and use tuned blocks, stroboscopes, or electronic tuners to evaluate tones made by instruments.
Shape old parts and replacement parts to improve tone or intonation, using hand tools, lathes, or soldering irons.
Solder or weld frames of mallet instruments and metal drum parts.
File metal reeds until their pitches correspond with standard tuning bar pitches.

Related Technology & Tools

Butt plate inserters
Screwdrivers
Piano key spacers
Chain nose pliers
Air hoses
Endpin jack wrenches
Micrometers
Wax spoons
Valve lapping machines
Japanese fret saws
Broaches
Guitar humidifiers
Jaw pliers
Gripper truss rod wrenches
Sand blasters
Clarinet pad leveling tools
Curved nose scissors
Slotted screwdrivers
Alcohol lamps
Fret end dressing files
Purfling cutters
Neck jigs
Height measurement gauges
Cross lock tweezers
Pin vises
Spring cutters
Jack screw regulators
Glue pots
Needle files
Heat guns
Hammer angle gauges
Digital humidity gauges
Curved nose forceps
Punching lifters
Curved nose pliers
Adjustable fret slotting saws
Hammers
Electronic tuners
Bench blocks
End cut nippers
Heat control units
Gauged saws
Refret saws
Pencil magnets
Fret dressing sticks
String height gauges
Flange bushing reamers
Flute body mandrels
Disc sanders
Piano leveling devices
Soldering clips
Air dusting guns
Tenon expanders
Deep throat C clamps
Tuning pin bushing punches
Jack spring hole reamers
String lifters
Chemical dip tanks
Portable band saws
Magnifiers
Brass mouthpiece brushes
Spool clamps
Surface thermometers
Mag machines
Screw pitch thread gauges
Bench anvils
Flange screwdrivers
Cross-cut saws
Saddle locating jigs
Neck relief gauges
Torx drivers
Routers
Understring radius gauges
Flat nose pliers
Piano stringing hooks
Dollies
Tuning pin gauges
Wood chisels
Soldering clamps
Cold chisels
Magnetizers
Hand drills
Razor files
Tone hole cutters
Torque wrenches
Flute gauges
Gram tension gauges
Screw extractors
Capstan regulators
Power drills
Looping machines
Multimeters
Socket reamers
Scissor jacks
Countersinks
Bore tools
Heat staking tools
Piano tuning pin punches
Hand sprayers
Cam clamps
Fret files
Rip saws
Damper rod hooks
Belt sanders
Hand burnishers
Tuning pins
Piano tuning pin cranks
Punches
Hammer head reamers
Drill presses
Allen wrenches
Ball-end hex keys
Key easing tools
Post drilling jigs
Tuning pin setters
Hart spring tools
Damper regulators
Hammer butt spacers
Dent hammers
Calipers
String action gauges
Felt cutters
Lost motion regulators
Precision oilers
Bore cleaning brushes
Bracket hex wrenches
Chamfer tools
Tuning forks
Spark lighters
Loupes
Rat tail files
Music wire gauges
File cleaners
Adjustable C clamps
Fingerboard levelers
Fret rockers
Scraper burnishers
Pin hole reamers
Soldering irons
Valve brushes
Bench oilers
Power buffers
Hand planes
Grand screwdrivers
Action regulators
Duck bill pliers
Arbors
Sprayer compressors
Mallets
Tuning wrenches
Precision spray guns
Hex drivers
Barrel reamers
Incandescent lamps
Damper spoon benders
Blowpipes
Wire cutters
Flute head mandrels
Power sanders
Sharp leveling and key-dip devices
Alligator forceps
Tuning levers
Burnishing rings
Dent machines
Radius gauges
Digital tuners
Bending irons
Pointed awls
Violin clamps
Hammer shank reducers
Automated sprayers
Nut files
Buffing machines
Felt cutting knives
Hand planers
Flute key leveling tools
Blow torches
Leak lights
Piano tuning pin extractors
Feeler gauges
Nut slotting gauges
Regulating gauges
Bridge pin hole slotting saws
Bench brushes
Glue guns
Die stocks
Edging clamps
Wire drill gauges
Tap wrenches
Valve mirrors
Long flat nose pliers
Pad cup heaters
String hooks
Hammer angle protractors
Piano regulators
String spacing rules
Oilers
Pearl cutting saws
Drill gauges
Pencil torches
Tubing shrinkers
Dial calipers
Bunsen burners
Fret slot depth gauges
Key dip blocks
Hacksaws
Output jack wrenches
Agraffe removers
Tuning hammers
Key button jigs
Feeler gauge holders
Arch punches
Bench grinders
Band clamps
Coil makers
Thread cutting tools
Bench lathes
Flute pad irons
Fingerboard band clamps
Seam separation knives
Bushing inserters
Soldering jigs
Glue brushes
Capstan screw wrenches
Top deflection gauges
Telescoping magnetic pickup tools
Key bushing tighteners
Hammer head borers
Center pin punches
Tinners snips
Gram weights
Grand piano jacks
Alignment jigs
Soundhole clamps
Butane heaters
Regulating screwdrivers
Screw gauges
Rulers
Spring punches
Vise grip pliers
Tweezers
Bench motors
Fluorescent lamps
Magnetic scribers
Inspection mirrors
Diagonal cutters
Telescoping gauges
Nut drivers
Pocket truss rod wrenches
Screw slotters

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