What does an equipment technician do?
An equipment technician is responsible for handling the operations of company equipment and machinery, inspecting for any malfunctions, and immediately repairing defective components to prevent delays in productivity. Equipment technicians create a report of system failures, referencing documentation to develop consistency with the equipment, and suggest corrective actions. They should also analyze schematics and blueprints for guides on how to maintain the equipment's reliability. An equipment technician must have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry, especially on enhancing equipment's performance and maximizing operational productivity.
Equipment technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real equipment technician resumes:
- Maintain numerous automate scripts to assist in managing Linux systems.
- Work as a BMET servicing a wide variety of medical equipment.
- Inspect and test medical equipment (defibrillators and NICU incubators).
- Repair and configure infusion pumps, anesthesia units, ventilators, and defibrillators for desire patient care.
- Supervise operations, maintain and repair electro-mechanical equipment, programmable controllers, robotics, and pneumatic, hydraulic and electrical systems.
- Position requires a valid CDL.
- Subject matter expert in sterilizers.
- Use dummy load to troubleshoot RF.
- Work with proper PPE to prevent safety hazards.
- Replace RF generators and verify output watts with dummy load.
- Survey and identify safe and sound areas for BMET basecamp.
- Work on every piece of equipment from exercise equipment to Steris sterilizers.
- File and maintain proper EPA forms to stay abreast on current regulation.
- Require to lift and carry up ladders heavy equipment such as compressors and motors.
- Plan and facilitate equipment PMs in order to keep them running at optimal rates.
Equipment technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of Equipment Technicians are proficient in Preventative Maintenance, Patients, and Equipment Maintenance. They’re also known for soft skills such as Technical skills, Time-management skills, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Equipment Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Preventative Maintenance, 10%
Minimized down time and increased equipment productivity through problem solving, troubleshooting, repairing, and preventative maintenance of production equipment.
- Patients, 6%
Home Medical Equipment Technician for durable medical equipment company providing oxygen devices and systems to patients for improved quality of life.
- Equipment Maintenance, 6%
Assisted engineering with implementation of new test equipment maintenance for manufacturing test stations.
- Ladders, 5%
Set up, arranged and removed decorations, tables, chairs, ladders and scaffolding to prepare facilities for large events.
- Hand Tools, 5%
Adjust and replace defective or improperly functioning mechanical components using hand tools.
- Customer Service, 5%
Provided customer service duties - answered telephones, greeted walk-in customers & answered questions regarding durable medical equipment.
"preventative maintenance," "patients," and "equipment maintenance" are among the most common skills that equipment technicians use at work. You can find even more equipment technician responsibilities below, including:
Technical skills. The most essential soft skill for an equipment technician to carry out their responsibilities is technical skills. This skill is important for the role because "technicians use sophisticated diagnostic tools when working on complex medical equipment." Additionally, an equipment technician resume shows how their duties depend on technical skills: "monitored personnel maintenance procedures as quality assurance inspector verifying assignments were performed in compliance with applicable technical manuals. "
Time-management skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling equipment technician duties is time-management skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "because repairing vital medical equipment is urgent, workers must make good use of their time and perform repairs quickly." According to an equipment technician resume, here's how equipment technicians can utilize time-management skills in their job responsibilities: "maintain accurate records and submit documentation to meet deadlines and to communicate both orally and written to coworkers and patients. "
Communication skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of equipment technicians is communication skills. This skill is critical to many everyday equipment technician duties, as "medical equipment repairers must effectively communicate technical information by telephone, in writing, and in person when speaking to clients, supervisors, and co-workers." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "executed daily operations logging into computer systems and acd phone system to provide customer service in resolving telecommunication malfunctions. "
Dexterity. equipment technician responsibilities often require "dexterity." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "many tasks, such as connecting or attaching parts and using hand tools, require a steady hand and good hand-eye coordination." This resume example shows what equipment technicians do with dexterity on a typical day: "required to lift and carry up ladders heavy equipment such as compressors and motors. "
Mechanical skills. A commonly-found skill in equipment technician job descriptions, "mechanical skills" is essential to what equipment technicians do. Equipment technician responsibilities rely on this skill because "medical equipment repairers must be familiar with medical components and systems and how they interact." You can also see how equipment technician duties rely on mechanical skills in this resume example: "service and maintain optical, pneumatic, highly mechanical integrated electronic equipment. "
Troubleshooting skills. Lastly, "troubleshooting skills" is an important element of what an equipment technician does. Equipment technician responsibilities require this skill because "as medical equipment becomes more intricate, problems become more difficult to identify." This resume example highlights how equipment technician duties rely on this skill: "trained lower level technicians in proper troubleshooting and maintenance procedures. "
The three companies that hire the most equipment technicians are:
- Samsung Electronics Device Solutions (Semiconductor & Display)101 equipment technicians jobs
- Medix96 equipment technicians jobs
- QuintilesIMS95 equipment technicians jobs
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Compare different equipment technicians
Equipment technician vs. Preventive maintenance technician
A preventive maintenance technician performs routine facility maintenance to prevent possible mechanical failure. The technicians change worn out machine parts before they can cause mechanical damage. They keep the facility operating. It is their job to conduct quality assessments, maintain inventory, and schedule repairs. Also, they see to it that machines are up and running at all times. They are expected to be equipped with skills in customer service, problem-solving, reading comprehension, business operation, and mechanical aptitude.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between equipment technicians and preventive maintenance technician. For instance, equipment technician responsibilities require skills such as "patients," "equipment maintenance," "dexterity," and "maintenance procedures." Whereas a preventive maintenance technician is skilled in "dishwashers," "water filters," "cnc," and "safety regulations." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Preventive maintenance technicians really shine in the automotive industry with an average salary of $47,655. Comparatively, equipment technicians tend to make the most money in the construction industry with an average salary of $48,024.The education levels that preventive maintenance technicians earn slightly differ from equipment technicians. In particular, preventive maintenance technicians are 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an equipment technician. Additionally, they're 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Equipment technician vs. Service and repair technician
Service and repair technicians install, maintains, or repair equipment and often travel to customer's location to provide service and maintenance. They are also known as field service technicians who have technical knowledge and skills to be able to install and conduct product testing or demo to properly instruct customers on the proper usage of the product. Also, they provide preventive maintenance procedures to prevent damage to the equipment, diagnose problems and make repairs. The job involves various services depending on the area of experience and expertise.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real equipment technician resumes. While equipment technician responsibilities can utilize skills like "patients," "equipment maintenance," "ladders," and "hand tools," service and repair technicians use skills like "working independently," "dishwashers," "windows," and "ac."
Service and repair technicians earn a higher average salary than equipment technicians. But service and repair technicians earn the highest pay in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $42,616. Additionally, equipment technicians earn the highest salaries in the construction with average pay of $48,024 annually.service and repair technicians earn similar levels of education than equipment technicians in general. They're 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Equipment technician vs. Facility maintenance technician
A facility maintenance technician is responsible for inspecting the safety and security of the facilities, including the operational tools, equipment, and machinery, to avoid potential hazards in the production area and maintain timely project deliverables. Facility maintenance technicians perform a regular check on the equipment, identifying glitches and inconsistencies, and repairing defective components to avoid delays in operation. They also install and assemble new machines, requiring them to have comprehensive knowledge of reading schematics and blueprints. A facility maintenance technician records incident reports and suggests immediate safety actions to management.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from equipment technician resumes include skills like "preventative maintenance," "patients," "dexterity," and "technical support," whereas a facility maintenance technician is more likely to list skills in "maintenance tasks," "good communication," "minor maintenance," and "mechanical equipment. "
Facility maintenance technicians make a very good living in the manufacturing industry with an average annual salary of $45,090. On the other hand, equipment technicians are paid the highest salary in the construction industry, with average annual pay of $48,024.When it comes to education, facility maintenance technicians tend to earn similar degree levels compared to equipment technicians. In fact, they're 0.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Equipment technician vs. Electrical maintenance technician
An electrical maintenance technician is primarily in charge of installing and repairing electrical systems. Their responsibilities often revolve around liaising with clients to identify their needs, examining electrical damages or defects on houses or establishments, troubleshooting, and performing fixes and replacements as needed. Aside from providing technical support, an electrical maintenance technician may also train junior technicians and monitor their progress. Furthermore, in a company setting, one must conduct regular maintenance checks on electrical systems to ensure a safe and efficient work environment.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between equipment technicians and electrical maintenance technicians, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an equipment technician might have more use for skills like "preventative maintenance," "patients," "equipment maintenance," and "customer service." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of electrical maintenance technicians require skills like "electrical equipment," "preventive maintenance," "control systems," and "ac. "
The hospitality industry tends to pay the highest salaries for electrical maintenance technicians, with average annual pay of $61,573. Comparatively, the highest equipment technician annual salary comes from the construction industry.electrical maintenance technicians reach similar levels of education compared to equipment technicians, in general. The difference is that they're 0.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of equipment technician
Updated January 8, 2025
