How to hire an equipment mechanic

How to hire an equipment mechanic, step by step

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

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

What does an equipment mechanic do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your equipment mechanic job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an equipment mechanic for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   An equipment mechanic's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, equipment mechanics from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of equipment mechanics.

   Type of Equipment Mechanic	Description	Hourly rate
   Equipment Mechanic	Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians inspect, maintain, and repair vehicles and machinery used in construction, farming, rail transportation, and other industries.	$15-29
   Automotive Service Technician	Automotive service technicians, often called service technicians, have a duty to inspect, maintain, and repair cars and even light trucks. It is their job as automotive service technicians to find problems, often by computerized diagnostic equipment... Show more	$12-35
   Mechanic Helper	The job of a mechanic helper is to support lead mechanics and perform a variety of duties and responsibilities. You will be assisting in the maintenance of cars, such as changing tires and oils, replacing brakes, and diagnosing vehicle issues... Show more	$11-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Hand Tools
   • Preventive Maintenance
   • CDL
   • Electrical Systems
   • Ladders
   • Cranes
   • Equipment Maintenance
   • Electrical Equipment
   • Customer Service
   • Hydraulic Systems
   • Mechanical Systems
   • Diesel Engines
   • Loaders
   • Ground Support Equipment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Maintain and manage shop for parts, supplies and priority in jobs and cleanliness.
   • Repair electrical equipment, hydraulic systems and mobile maintenance cranes.
   • Complete all paperwork in conformance with state, federal, and OSHA guidelines.
   • Work on various vehicles from bulldozers to container handlers to generators to to small trailers.
   • Work with hoisting and jacking equipment, power tools, measuring instruments, gauges and meters.
   • Possess highly technical expertise of hoisting and jacking equipment, power tools, instruments, gauges and meters.

   More equipment mechanic duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your equipment mechanic job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An equipment mechanic salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, equipment mechanics' average salary in maine is 50% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level equipment mechanics earn 48% less than senior-level equipment mechanics.
   • Certifications. An equipment mechanic with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an equipment mechanic's salary.

   Average equipment mechanic salary

   $45,435yearly

   $21.84 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level equipment mechanic salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average equipment mechanic salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$61,890	$30
   2	Nevada	$48,414	$23
   3	Washington	$47,581	$23
   4	Illinois	$46,733	$22
   5	Ohio	$46,588	$22
   6	Minnesota	$46,283	$22
   7	Maryland	$45,534	$22
   8	Oregon	$45,358	$22
   9	Pennsylvania	$44,149	$21
   10	Alaska	$42,599	$20
   11	New York	$41,826	$20
   12	Virginia	$41,788	$20
   13	North Carolina	$39,459	$19
   14	Colorado	$39,404	$19
   15	Alabama	$39,259	$19
   16	Connecticut	$39,085	$19
   17	Utah	$36,618	$18
   18	Texas	$35,598	$17
   19	Florida	$34,806	$17
   20	Indiana	$34,238	$16

   Average equipment mechanic salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Hologic	$90,394	$43.46	2
   2	Pacifi	$85,627	$41.17	6
   3	American Refining Group	$79,469	$38.21
   4	Marathon Petroleum	$76,027	$36.55	4
   5	Genesee & Wyoming	$73,679	$35.42	16
   6	Moss & Associates	$71,246	$34.25	1
   7	Fluor Corporation	$69,196	$33.27	29
   8	Santa Clara Valley Water District	$67,430	$32.42
   9	Reckitt Benckiser	$66,717	$32.08	1
   10	CyberCoders	$66,032	$31.75
   11	Bechtel Corporation	$65,056	$31.28	57
   12	Precision Drilling	$65,055	$31.28
   13	OpSource	$64,977	$31.24	1
   14	Lockheed Martin	$64,961	$31.23	67
   15	Loup Logistics	$63,733	$30.64	10
   16	ASRC Federal	$62,975	$30.28	34
   17	Norfolk Southern	$62,283	$29.94
   18	Raytheon Technologies	$62,048	$29.83	24
   19	National Grid plc	$61,698	$29.66
   20	Allan A. Myers	$60,982	$29.32	8

4. Writing an equipment mechanic job description

   An equipment 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. Below, you can find an example of an equipment mechanic job description:

   Equipment mechanic job description example

   Hiring Immediately!Shift: 11:00am-7:30pm with OTMonday-Friday Full TimeRate: $28.48 /hr Must perform a variety of assigned work tasks including those related to the maintenance, repair and upkeep of the CVS Health rolling stock. This responsibility also includes diagnosing any mechanical, electrical, breakdown or failure of a forklift. The forklift mechanic will make sure that forklifts are safe and in working standard. This position will conduct inspections, order parts, handle preventative maintenance, and trouble shoot problems while logging work done on the forklift.- Complete preventative maintenance as required.- Perform daily inspections of entire forklift fleet.- Ensure all equipment is operating properly and safely.- Maintain repair order records.-Perform emergency breakdown repairs on forklift equipment.-Troubleshoot electrical and mechanical problems. - Responsible for performing all job duties with honesty and integrity - Adhere to established federal/state/company safety procedures.- Perform various repairs upon general instructions from department lead or manager.
   Pay Range
   
   The typical pay range for this role is:
   
   Minimum: 28.48
   
   Maximum: 28.48
   
   Please keep in mind that this range represents the pay range for all positions in the job grade within which this position falls. The actual salary offer will take into account a wide range of factors, including location.
   
   Required Qualifications
   
   Previous maintenance experience required.
   
   Preferred Qualifications
   
   Previous Warehouse experience.
   
   Education
   
   High School diploma or equivalent preferred but not required.
   
   Business Overview
   
   Bring your heart to CVS Health Every one of us at CVS Health shares a single, clear purpose: Bringing our heart to every moment of your health. This purpose guides our commitment to deliver enhanced human-centric health care for a rapidly changing world. Anchored in our brand - with heart at its center - our purpose sends a personal message that how we deliver our services is just as important as what we deliver. Our Heart At Work Behaviors™ support this purpose. We want everyone who works at CVS Health to feel empowered by the role they play in transforming our culture and accelerating our ability to innovate and deliver solutions to make health care more personal, convenient and affordable. We strive to promote and sustain a culture of diversity, inclusion and belonging every day. CVS Health is an affirmative action employer, and is an equal opportunity employer, as are the physician-owned businesses for which CVS Health provides management services. We do not discriminate in recruiting, hiring, promotion, or any other personnel action based on race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex/gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We proudly support and encourage people with military experience (active, veterans, reservists and National Guard) as well as military spouses to apply for CVS Health job opportunities.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right equipment mechanic for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with equipment mechanic candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 equipment mechanic

   Once you've found the equipment 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new equipment mechanic. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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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How much does it cost to hire an equipment mechanic?