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What is a general maintenance mechanic and how to become one
General maintenance mechanics or maintenance technicians, or building engineers repair and maintain machines, mechanical equipment, and buildings. They also work on plumbing, electrical, and other building controls.
General maintenance mechanics may also perform minor construction work and provide routine preventive maintenance to keep the physical structures of the building in good condition. You may also be called on to maintain and repair specialized equipment and machinery found in different areas. To be a general maintenance mechanic, you need to have a mechanical drawing metal shop, electrical shop, woodworking, blueprint reading, general science, and applied mathematics. You may also need to know how to use computer hardware and software.
The minimum education level you need to be a general maintenance mechanic is a high school diploma or a GED. You can work up the ladder to be a supervisor, and then you will make more. As it is, the salary is about $25,000 to $75,000 a year.
Avg. Salary $37,631
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 5%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.16%
Asian 4.45%
Black or African American 10.45%
Hispanic or Latino 19.87%
Unknown 4.23%
White 59.84%
Genderfemale 6.36%
male 93.64%
Age - 49American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 49Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is intermediate
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
General maintenance mechanic career paths
Key steps to become a general maintenance mechanic
Explore general maintenance mechanic education requirements
Start to develop specific general maintenance mechanic skills
Skills Percentages Plumbing 16.17% HVAC 11.09% Customer Service 10.67% Hand Tools 5.16% Ladders 4.83% Complete relevant general maintenance mechanic training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New general maintenance mechanics 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 general maintenance mechanic based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real general maintenance mechanic resumes.Research general maintenance mechanic duties and responsibilities
- Maintain all safety and training documentation as required by OSHA.
- Assist client in maintaining a clean, safe work environment per OSHA regulations.
- General apartment maintenance in HVAC repair
- Perform PLC setup of newly install production machinery.
Prepare your general maintenance mechanic resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your general maintenance mechanic 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 general maintenance mechanic resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable general maintenance mechanic resume templates
Build a professional general maintenance mechanic 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 general maintenance mechanic resume.
Apply for general maintenance mechanic jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a general maintenance mechanic 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 did you land your first general maintenance mechanic job
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Average general maintenance mechanic salary
The average general maintenance mechanic salary in the United States is $37,631 per year or $18 per hour. General maintenance mechanic salaries range between $27,000 and $51,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do general maintenance mechanics rate their job?
General maintenance mechanic reviews
Flexibility
I have more to offer than n various task. My resume spells out my duties.
Challenging, technical, always something new, part of a team.
The hours, the low pay, high expectations to perform and exceed, expectation to always be on call, low budget for repairs.
Class A service to tenants and completed accurate building maintenance service work.
Confusion, lack of communication and short cuts
Updated January 8, 2025
