How to hire a controller mechanic

How to hire a controller mechanic, step by step

Here's a step-by-step controller mechanic hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a controller mechanic job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new controller mechanic
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The controller mechanic hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a controller mechanic to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a controller mechanic that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of controller mechanic salaries for various roles:

   Type of Controller Mechanic	Description	Hourly rate
   Controller Mechanic	Industrial machinery mechanics and maintenance workers maintain and repair factory equipment and other industrial machinery, such as conveying systems, production machinery, and packaging equipment. Millwrights install, dismantle, repair, reassemble, and move machinery in factories, power plants, and construction sites.	$23-38
   Industrial Maintenance/Electrician	An industrial maintenance/electrician specializes in installing and maintaining electrical systems in different establishments. Responsibilities usually include performing inspections to assess electrical damages on systems, understanding blueprints, troubleshooting problems, replacing or fixing components, and conducting regular maintenance checks to ensure that electrical systems function smoothly and efficiently... Show more	$21-35
   Gas Turbine Technician	Another name for a gas turbine technician is "gas turbine mechanic." They repair and carry out maintenance on gas turbine engines and mechanical apparatuses. They are responsible for operating the machine, and it is also expected that they understand both the electrical and mechanical sections of the engines... Show more	$13-37

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Test Equipment
   • CNC Machines
   • HVAC
   • Preventive Maintenance
   • Ventilation
   • Ladders
   • Mechanical Equipment
   • OSHA
   • PLC
   • Transmitters
   • Logic Controllers
   • Switches
   • Variable Frequency
   • Hydraulic Systems

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Maintain commercial and industrial heating, ventilation, HVAC equipment, and controls including individual systems feeding into the EMCS.
   • Perform scheduled preventive maintenance on HVAC EMCS installation-wide.
   • experience and some Allen Bradley PLC experience.
   • Certify to operate cranes, lifts and power industrial trucks.
   • Comply with FAA and manufacturer airworthiness directives and advisory circulars.
   • Apply technical knowledge of airframe systems in determining equipment malfunctions and apply required expertise in restoring equipment condition to operating status.

   More controller mechanic duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your controller mechanic job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A controller mechanic salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a controller mechanic in Oregon may be lower than in Colorado, and an entry-level controller mechanic usually earns less than a senior-level controller mechanic. Additionally, a controller mechanic with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average controller mechanic salary

   $62,866yearly

   $30.22 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level controller mechanic salary

   $48,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average controller mechanic salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$77,647	$37
   2	California	$72,602	$35
   3	New York	$71,556	$34
   4	Pennsylvania	$68,319	$33
   5	Missouri	$64,110	$31
   6	New Mexico	$63,928	$31
   7	Illinois	$63,095	$30
   8	Wisconsin	$62,605	$30
   9	Ohio	$60,493	$29
   10	Massachusetts	$58,918	$28
   11	Virginia	$58,904	$28
   12	Minnesota	$57,286	$28
   13	Florida	$55,142	$27

   Average controller mechanic salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	University of California-Berkeley	$76,651	$36.85
   2	Frito-Lay	$68,095	$32.74	2
   3	National Park Foundation	$67,176	$32.30
   4	The Chemours Company	$66,917	$32.17
   5	Yale University	$66,390	$31.92	2
   6	Uline	$66,214	$31.83
   7	Lockheed Martin	$66,043	$31.75	95
   8	Spirit AeroSystems	$65,720	$31.60
   9	University of Massachusetts Boston	$65,397	$31.44
   10	Columbia University in the City of New York	$65,044	$31.27	5
   11	Leprino Foods	$64,428	$30.98
   12	Volt Information Sciences	$64,345	$30.94
   13	Brown University	$64,099	$30.82	1
   14	Productivity	$64,014	$30.78	5
   15	Harvard University	$63,804	$30.68
   16	Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority	$63,458	$30.51
   17	NYU Lutheran Medical Center	$62,977	$30.28	5
   18	Randstad North America, Inc.	$61,059	$29.36	7
   19	Columbus McKinnon	$58,959	$28.35	4
   20	R.M. Schulte & Associates	$56,716	$27.27	3

4. Writing a controller mechanic job description

   A controller mechanic job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a controller mechanic job description:

   Controller mechanic job description example

   JOB DESCRIPTION MAINTENANCE CONTROLS TECHNICIAN
   
   Overview
   
   Leprino Foods history dates back over 65 years, when Jim Leprino first started making small batches of mozzarella for local markets and eateries in the Little Italy neighborhood of Denver. Weve grown a bit since then. Today, Leprino is the worlds largest manufacturer of mozzarella and lactose, and a leading producer of whey protein. Still owned by Jim and the Leprino family, our sights are set to be the Worlds Best Dairy Food and Ingredient Company. To help us achieve that bold vision, were looking for our secret ingredient: You. A motivated team member who is the best at what you do. Three people in a small corner grocery store in the early 1950s have now grown to over 4,300 employees throughout 16 global locations. Will you join us on our journey?
   
   Within our Tracy, CA manufacturing facility, we are seeking an experienced Maintenance Controls Technician Mechanic within our Tracy, CA production facility.
   
   Responsibilities
   
   + Requires responsibility for maintaining, repairing, installing, modifying and trouble-shooting in-house plant equipment. Maintain operation of plant equipment to assure reliability and up time.
   
   + Maintain, calibrate and modify programmable logic controllers and associated displays; zero and span I/Ps, transmitters and positioner; calibrate and program flow meters and chemical analysis meters.
   
   + Read and write various logic diagrams.
   
   + Know operating software used to support PLCs and HMIs.
   
   + Maintain current PM program and look for ways to enhance system with proper documentation.
   
   + Perform in accordance with Safe Working Practices and current GMPs.
   
   + Departments team participation, GMP audits, behavior sampling, safety audit, injury investigation, management presentation.
   
   + Will cross train in other areas of the department and plant.
   
   + Other duties as assigned.
   
   Minimum Qualifications
   
   + Must be at least 18 years or older
   
   + Must possess a minimum of 3 years maintenance experience in a production plant.
   
   + Ability to complete both a mechanic and instrument technician test with a satisfactory score
   
   + Basic electrical skills to troubleshoot loops, motors and interface equipment.
   
   + Must be able to speak, read, write, and comprehend basic English language Must possess strong working knowledge of ammonia refrigeration systems, boiler operations, and chemical control, basic electrical skills, basic trouble-shooting skills for PID loops, motors and interface equipment.
   
   + Must be able to operate standard shop tools including lathe, drill press, mill, etc., and must be able to purge/T.I.G. weld.
   
   + Must be able to communicate with Production, Maintenance, Engineering and Supervisors to inform them of progress and to coordinate work and minimize impact on production and operations. Communicate effectively written and verbally.
   
   + Must exercise good judgment and problem-solving skill when supervision is not readily available.
   
   + Must be able to perform essential job functions of position with or without reasonable accommodation

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right controller mechanic for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with controller mechanics they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit controller mechanics who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your controller mechanic job on Zippia to find and recruit controller mechanic candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting controller mechanics requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new controller mechanic

   Once you've found the controller mechanic candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new controller mechanic. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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