What Does a Maintenance Technician Do?
Maintenance technicians keep large buildings and facilities running.
Every commercial and industrial building is built around a set of systems that provide electricity, water, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) as well as lighting, computer networking and security. And every one of those systems requires maintenance.
Maintenance technicians who monitor and manage BAS programs to maintain and repair or replace building components are key contributors to every organization that relies on large facilities.
Maintenance Technician Duties
Maintenance technicians keep buildings and facilities functioning smoothly, safely and efficiently. Some of their duties may include:
- Communicating with a facility’s owners or managers about issues that may impact the building’s safe and efficient operation
- Responding to requests for service and maintenance on building systems, components or features
- Monitoring, evaluating troubleshooting and repairing plumbing, electrical, HVACR, security, and computer networking wiring systems
- Maintaining safety measures for fire, carbon monoxide and other alarms
- Working with and maintaining tools and equipment, which may include hand tools, computer, tablet or phone devices, safety equipment and specialized tools for a building’s systems
- Managing inventory supplies for a building and for specialized equipment within the facility
- Painting and repairing parts of the building or facility
- Cooperating with officials, inspectors and quality management agencies to assure that a facility follows procedures for safety codes, product quality and safety and facility-related defect rates
- Collaborating with contractors or vendors to handle specialized jobs and functions
Career Outlook for Maintenance Technicians
Skilled maintenance technicians are in demand.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), American companies and organizations employ almost 1.5 million maintenance technicians. The BLS expects that number to grow by approximately 6% between now and 2028, a growth rate that matches overall job growth for that period.
Skilled maintenance technicians are also paid well. According to the BLS, maintenance and repair technicians earn $18.79 per hour, or $39,080 per year, on average.
PayScale.com notes that wage rates for industrial maintenance technicians run slightly higher. It estimates that maintenance professionals in industrial settings earn $21.14 per hour, on average. Top industrial maintenance professionals can earn around $80,000 per year.
Learn to Be a Maintenance Technician
Maintenance technicians combine physical dexterity and mechanical aptitude with logic and strong communication skills.
They are expected to have a solid background through education or experience in building systems, safety standards, inspection and repair protocols.
They also require capabilities with facility-specific processes such as manufacturing, automated distribution, or processing technology.
As BAS data becomes increasingly important to a facility’s operation, maintenance technicians are expected to have skills in math, data analysis and data-centered decision-making.
Is Maintenance Technician Training Worth It?
Many of the largest employers and most recognizable brands in the world entrust their facilities to maintenance technicians. Undertaking an organized course of study in maintenance concepts and procedures is the best way to signal to these employers that you take yourself seriously as a professional.
A comprehensive course is also the best way to ensure that you have received training across the entire scope of a maintenance technician’s responsibility.
Online Maintenance Technician Training
A highly-automated automotive manufacturing plant will sit idle if its assembly equipment fails. The miracle of transportation and logistics grinds to a halt if the stocking and picking systems break down. This is exactly why maintenance technicians are in demand.
If you enjoy working with physical systems, solving problems with buildings, machines and mechanical components, maintenance technician may be a great career choice for you.
In this 100% online course, you will learn the skills, practices and knowledge to begin your new career as a maintenance technician.
Enroll in the 100% online Maintenance Technician training course today!
Click the link below to learn more about our partner schools and financing options.
Maintenance Technician
18 Months | 250 Course Hours
Learn the skills required for manufacturing maintenance, including the principles of power transfer and rigging safety as well as PLCs and robotics.
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