How To Become A Plant Maintenance Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a plant maintenance manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Philipp Zerbe

On average, a plant maintenance manager in the United States earns $108,168 per year. That translates into $52 per hour. Generally, most of these managers make between $60,814 to $138,000. For such high pay, one would wonder, what does a plant manager do?

A plant manager's job is quite straightforward. The primary task is to oversee the maintenance programs and procedures of their assigned plant. They ensure fast and effective production by monitoring the plant's activities from production. They also make sure that all workers follow the necessary policies and processes.

In terms of certifications, this person needs a degree in business management or any other related field. Employers usually ask for managerial experience or experience working as a plant maintenance manager. But even if you have no prior experience, you still need to be conversant with the industry's standard equipment and have some level of technical expertise. Where skills are concerned, decision-making, people management, and team skills are necessary.

What general advice would you give to a Plant Maintenance Manager?

Philipp Zerbe

Associate Professor, University of California - Davis

While most career sectors have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, job opportunities in botany, plant biology and biology in general have been affected comparatively less. Therefore, do not be discouraged; explore the many career possibilities in plant biology and find something that truly speaks to your personality and your career dreams and pursue opportunities in this direction. At the same time be flexible and open-minded toward new opportunities. Botany/Plant Biology is a diverse and international field with many different career possibilities. Be open to exploring different fields and to relocate nationally or internationally for internships or job opportunities.

ScorePlant Maintenance ManagerUS Average

Salary

7.6

Avg. Salary $98,762

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.4

Growth Rate 2%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

1.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.16%

Asian 11.72%

Black or African American 3.13%

Hispanic or Latino 8.98%

Unknown 4.69%

White 71.31%

Gender

female 2.57%

male 97.43%

Age - 48

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48

Stress Level

7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

10.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

3.5

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

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Key steps to become a plant maintenance manager

Explore plant maintenance manager education requirements

Most common plant maintenance manager degrees

Bachelor's

45.8 %

Associate

25.1 %

High School Diploma

9.2 %

Start to develop specific plant maintenance manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Plant Maintenance	13.84%
Continuous Improvement	9.43%
Plant Equipment	8.93%
Parts Inventory	6.71%
HVAC	6.20%

Complete relevant plant maintenance manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New plant maintenance managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a plant maintenance manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real plant maintenance manager resumes.

Research plant maintenance manager duties and responsibilities

Lead a team of union and non-union employees from electricians, HVAC, grounds, security and transportation staff.
Create a preventative maintenance schedule for all HVAC, mechanical, electrical and plumbing equipment as well as irrigation systems.
Maintain compliance with FDA, OSHA, EPA, and other regulatory agencies.
Conduct safety training and guide maintenance team in safe operating practices in accordance with OSHA standards.

Prepare your plant maintenance manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your plant maintenance manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a plant maintenance manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Plant Maintenance Manager Resume templates

Build a professional Plant Maintenance Manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Plant Maintenance Manager resume.

Apply for plant maintenance manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a plant maintenance manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do plant maintenance managers rate their job?

-/5

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1 Star

Plant Maintenance Manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019

Pros

Fast Pace, solving problems working with outside groups.

Cons

Engineering not understanding processes

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019