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What is a facilities technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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A facilities technician performs maintenance on buildings, equipment, and systems within a facility. They are responsible for ensuring safety and functionality by performing routine inspections, repairs, and upgrades. These technicians may work on HVAC systems, electrical systems, plumbing, and general building maintenance. Facilities technicians may also manage contractors, order supplies, and maintain records. They work in a variety of settings, including schools, hospitals, office buildings, and manufacturing plants.

ScoreFacilities TechnicianUS Average
Salary
3.2

Avg. Salary $40,344

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.6

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.6
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.16%

Asian 4.44%

Black or African American 10.38%

Hispanic or Latino 20.91%

Unknown 4.23%

White 58.88%

Gender

female 9.69%

male 90.31%

Age - 49
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 - 49
Stress level
7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a facilities technician?

Pros

  • Variety of tasks and responsibilities

  • Opportunities for hands-on work

  • Good pay, benefits, and job security

  • Opportunities for advancement

  • Flexible work schedules

Cons

  • Physically demanding work

  • Exposure to hazardous substances and situations

  • Long hours or on-call work required

  • Work may be performed in uncomfortable environments

  • May require working holidays or weekends

Facilities technician career paths

Key steps to become a facilities technician

  1. Explore facilities technician education requirements

    Most common facilities technician degrees

    Bachelor's

    30.5 %

    Associate

    27.1 %

    High School Diploma

    24.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific facilities technician skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Preventative Maintenance11.91%
    HVAC9.84%
    Plumbing9.77%
    Customer Service5.20%
    OSHA4.28%
  3. Complete relevant facilities technician training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New facilities technicians 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 facilities technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real facilities technician resumes.
  4. Gain additional facilities technician certifications

    Facilities technician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific facilities technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for facilities technicians include EPA Amusement Operators Safety Certification (EPA) and OSHA Safety Certificate .

    More About Certifications
  5. Research facilities technician duties and responsibilities

    • Manage all contract work including snow removal, mowing, asphalt work, and signage.
    • Prepare bids for services, maintain RO/DI system, cooling towers, chillers, waste water systems and hazardous waste disposal.
    • Perform general building maintenance duties including basic plumbing and electrical repairs.
    • Maintain boilers and ice chillers per school standards and manufacturer specifications.
  6. Prepare your facilities technician resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your facilities technician 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 facilities technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable facilities technician resume templates

    Build a professional facilities technician 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 facilities technician resume.
    Facilities Technician Resume
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    Facilities Technician Resume
  7. Apply for facilities technician jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a facilities technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

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

How did you land your first facilities technician job

Zippi

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Average facilities technician salary

The average facilities technician salary in the United States is $40,344 per year or $19 per hour. Facilities technician salaries range between $27,000 and $59,000 per year.

Average facilities technician salary
$40,344 Yearly
$19.40 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do facilities technicians rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Facilities technician reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020
Pros

Flexibility

Cons

I have more to offer than n various task. My resume spells out my duties.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Pros

Mostly a 8 to 5 job with good pay and okay benefits. Most problems are straight forward troubleshooting and knowledge base utilization. Gives you the opportunity to build working relationships with contractors that you can take with you wherever you move to.

Cons

Sometimes people who don't know how the behind the scenes action works tend to be way more demanding of you than a given situation calls for ( i.e. threatening to have you disciplined for not having fresh markers for the whiteboards while you are working to get your buildings A/C up during a heat wave that killed the compressors)


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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

Challenging, technical, always something new, part of a team.

Cons

The hours, the low pay, high expectations to perform and exceed, expectation to always be on call, low budget for repairs.


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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.

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