What does an Equipment Maintenance Technician do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does an Equipment Maintenance Technician do

An equipment maintenance technician is responsible for ensuring the stability and efficiency of all production tools and equipment to support smooth business functions and operations. Equipment maintenance technicians conduct regular maintenance for optimization, repair defective components, and inspect equipment parts to identify possible upgrades and replacements. They also assemble equipment and machinery, requiring them to have excellent mechanical and critical-thinking skills to analyze schematics and blueprints accurately. An equipment maintenance technician must be highly communicative and organizational, especially in adhering to the highest safety standards and protocols during operations.

On This Page

Equipment maintenance technician responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real equipment maintenance technician resumes:

  • Maintain and repair CNC milling machines.
  • Carry out lead mechanic and avionics duties.
  • Diagnose HVAC problems; installation of new vent motors.
  • Certify to operate man lifts, fork lifts, and overhead cranes.
  • Skil at extracting seize fasteners in hot sections, airframe assemblies and panels.
  • Work on single and double bridge overhead cranes that operate on 480vac or 250vdc.
  • Complete airframe repairs, and installation of aircraft engines for various airlines / customers.
  • Upgrade controls of pressure vessels, ovens, and lab equipment to current PLC controls.
  • Work ranges from repairing 40 gallon steam kettles to 60 ton rooftop package HVAC units.
  • Perform building infrastructure maintenance tasks including light plumbing, painting, and wiring and general facility upkeep.
  • Propose and implement cnc control upgrades on machining centers saving a $150K per machine in replacement cost.
  • Maintain green space by planting, trimming, sodding, fertilizing, mowing, thatching and applying fertilizer/weed killer.
  • Ensure all documentation are compliant with FAA regulations
  • Repair plastic extrusion equipment including machinery, electrical control, and PLC systems
  • Perform basic plumbing and electrical repairs.

Equipment maintenance technician skills and personality traits

We calculated that 14% of Equipment Maintenance Technicians are proficient in Equipment Maintenance, Hand Tools, and Preventive Maintenance. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Detail oriented, and Customer-service skills.

We break down the percentage of Equipment Maintenance Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Equipment Maintenance, 14%

    Job Responsibilities: Provide Equipment Maintenance Operations and Technical Support in a Semiconductor Manufacturing Wafer Fabrication Facility (Thin Films).

  • Hand Tools, 9%

    Worked from technical manuals, specifications drawings, and schematics utilizing a variety of hand tools and test equipment.

  • Preventive Maintenance, 8%

    Applied expertise and specialized skills to guide and train other maintenance technicians and updated existing preventive maintenance procedures and specifications.

  • Maintenance Procedures, 5%

    Developed, implemented, and trained unit personnel on improved maintenance procedures that increased maintenance shop productivity by 10 percent.

  • PLC, 4%

    Repaired plastic extrusion equipment including machinery, electrical control, and PLC systems

  • Production Equipment, 4%

    Provided technical support relating to equipment utilized in the manufacturing areas by repairing, maintaining or modifying production equipment.

"equipment maintenance," "hand tools," and "preventive maintenance" are among the most common skills that equipment maintenance technicians use at work. You can find even more equipment maintenance technician responsibilities below, including:

Customer-service skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of equipment maintenance technicians is customer-service skills. This skill is critical to many everyday equipment maintenance technician duties, as "these workers interact with customers on a regular basis." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "performed software modifications and generated ac calibration devices for customer options. "

Dexterity. Another crucial skill for an equipment maintenance technician to carry out their responsibilities is "dexterity." A big part of what equipment maintenance technicians relies on this skill, since "many repair and maintenance tasks, such as repairing small devices, connecting or attaching components, and using hand tools, require a steady hand and good hand–eye coordination." How this skill relates to equipment maintenance technician duties can be seen in an example from an equipment maintenance technician resume snippet: "conduct new equipment hands-on preventive maintenance. "

Troubleshooting skills. Lastly, "troubleshooting skills" is an important element of what an equipment maintenance technician does. Equipment maintenance technician responsibilities require this skill because "workers find, diagnose, and repair problems." This resume example highlights how equipment maintenance technician duties rely on this skill: "generate preventative and corrective maintenance procedures and troubleshooting guides for all processes and production line equipment. "

All equipment maintenance technician skills

Choose from 10+ customizable equipment maintenance technician resume templates

Build a professional equipment maintenance technician resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your equipment maintenance technician resume.
Equipment Maintenance Technician Resume
Equipment Maintenance Technician Resume
Equipment Maintenance Technician Resume
Equipment Maintenance Technician Resume
Equipment Maintenance Technician Resume
Equipment Maintenance Technician Resume
Equipment Maintenance Technician Resume
Equipment Maintenance Technician Resume
Equipment Maintenance Technician Resume
Equipment Maintenance Technician Resume
Equipment Maintenance Technician Resume
Equipment Maintenance Technician Resume
Equipment Maintenance Technician Resume
Equipment Maintenance Technician Resume
Equipment Maintenance Technician Resume
Equipment Maintenance Technician Resume

Compare different equipment maintenance technicians

Equipment maintenance technician vs. Maintenance engineer

A maintenance engineer is responsible for the maintenance of industrial machinery and inspects equipment defects for immediate troubleshooting or replacement as needed. Maintenance engineers install and upgrade system components to improve system optimization and perform diagnostic systems to locate any adjustments. They also conduct routine checks, assist clients with technical faults, and ensure that the equipment works safely for certain operations. A maintenance engineer must have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry to address technical malfunctions immediately.

The annual salary of maintenance engineers is $1,188 higher than the average salary of equipment maintenance technicians.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between equipment maintenance technicians and maintenance engineers are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like equipment maintenance, hand tools, and maintenance procedures.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, equipment maintenance technician responsibilities require skills like "preventive maintenance," "test equipment," "ac," and "strong work ethic." Meanwhile a typical maintenance engineer has skills in areas such as "guest rooms," "ladders," "maintenance tasks," and "boilers." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Maintenance engineers tend to reach similar levels of education than equipment maintenance technicians. In fact, maintenance engineers are 4.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Equipment maintenance technician vs. Maintenance lead person

The primary job of a maintenance lead person involves painting, asbestos removal, resolving emergencies, plumbing, and welding. Workers in this position lead a team composing maintenance engineers or technicians. They work along with managers and support teams. It is their duty to construct and repair structures and equipment. They consistently promote quality standards by personal roll and example. Also, they support those demands from the customers.

Maintenance lead person positions earn higher pay than equipment maintenance technician roles. They earn a $7,175 higher salary than equipment maintenance technicians per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both equipment maintenance technicians and maintenance lead people have skills such as "equipment maintenance," "hand tools," and "preventive maintenance. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, equipment maintenance technician responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "test equipment," "ac," "corrective maintenance," and "strong work ethic." Meanwhile, a maintenance lead person has duties that require skills in areas such as "customer service," "cmms," "general maintenance," and "ladders." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Maintenance lead people earn a higher average salary than equipment maintenance technicians. But maintenance lead people earn the highest pay in the automotive industry, with an average salary of $58,122. Additionally, equipment maintenance technicians earn the highest salaries in the technology with average pay of $46,565 annually.In general, maintenance lead people achieve similar levels of education than equipment maintenance technicians. They're 1.2% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Equipment maintenance technician vs. Maintenance supervisor

A maintenance supervisor is responsible for directing and managing the overall maintenance department, inspecting the safety of operation equipment, and ensuring that everyone follows the standards and regulatory procedures to keep the production area safe and efficient. Maintenance supervisor duties also include delegating tasks to the maintenance personnel, evaluating the site condition regularly, reviewing inventory, and requesting stocks as necessary. They must also keep track of incident reports and connect with the operations management for any concerns and recommendations.

On average scale, maintenance supervisors bring in higher salaries than equipment maintenance technicians. In fact, they earn a $11,729 higher salary per year.equipment maintenance technicians and maintenance supervisors both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "equipment maintenance," "hand tools," and "maintenance procedures," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an equipment maintenance technician is likely to be skilled in "preventive maintenance," "test equipment," "ac," and "strong work ethic," while a typical maintenance supervisor is skilled in "customer service," "ladders," "general maintenance," and "safety standards."

Maintenance supervisors earn the highest salary when working in the automotive industry, where they receive an average salary of $73,337. Comparatively, equipment maintenance technicians have the highest earning potential in the technology industry, with an average salary of $46,565.When it comes to education, maintenance supervisors tend to earn similar degree levels compared to equipment maintenance technicians. In fact, they're 1.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Equipment maintenance technician vs. Maintenance internship

A maintenance intern has a variety of duties and responsibilities with the organization he/she or she is working for. Typical duties that you will likely perform for this job include assisting in plant improvement project management, interact with senior leadership of the company, and assisting with moving furniture for remodeling projects. In addition, as a maintenance intern, you will have the opportunity to experience and learn the company's mission and values, gain technical knowledge, and participate in training.

Maintenance interns typically earn lower pay than equipment maintenance technicians. On average, maintenance interns earn a $12,114 lower salary per year.According to resumes from equipment maintenance technicians and maintenance interns, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "hand tools," "maintenance procedures," and "plc. "While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "equipment maintenance," "preventive maintenance," "test equipment," and "corrective maintenance" are skills that commonly show up on equipment maintenance technician resumes. On the other hand, maintenance interns use skills like customer service, preventative maintenance, maintenance intern, and c++ on their resumes.maintenance interns enjoy the best pay in the energy industry, with an average salary of $44,441. For comparison, equipment maintenance technicians earn the highest salary in the technology industry.The average resume of maintenance interns showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to equipment maintenance technicians. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 3.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.1%.

Types of equipment maintenance technician

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse installation, maintenance and repair jobs