What Does a General Maintenance Mechanic Do?

A general maintenance mechanic is responsible for ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of the facilities and inspecting the condition and performance of the equipment and machinery for business operations and processes. General maintenance mechanics handle equipment repairs and replacement of defective components, requiring them to have extensive knowledge of the mechanical industry. They also install and assemble equipment by analyzing mechanical schematics and blueprints accurately. A general maintenance mechanic creates a comprehensive schedule of inspection, repairs, and quality control checks to preserve the safe standards of the premises.

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General Maintenance Mechanic Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real general maintenance mechanic resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

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.
Repair and troubleshoot not only plumbing but also construction and general maintenance situations.
Perform general maintenance of parks facilities including carpentry, electrical and plumbing work.
Perform multiple assignments relate to maintenance, cleanliness and operation across multiple hydroelectric power stations.
Inspect boilers and other machinery to ensure proper operation by making require adjustments or repairs.
Operate trucks, tractors with attachments, loaders, forklifts and riding mowers.
Mow and trim lawns and shrubbery, using mowers, hand and power trimmers.
Use and install chain hoists or any other lifting device require for rigging of equipment and hardware throughout the plant.
Mow and trim lawns and shrubbery, using mowers and hand and power trimmers, and clear debris from grounds.

General Maintenance Mechanic Job Description

Perhaps the hardest question to answer when deciding on a career as a general maintenance mechanic is "should I become a general maintenance mechanic?" You might find this info to be helpful. When compared to other jobs, general maintenance mechanic careers are projected to have a growth rate described as "as fast as average" at 6% from 2018 through 2028. This is in accordance with the Bureau of Labor Statistics. What's more, is that the projected number of opportunities that are predicted to become available for a general maintenance mechanic by 2028 is 85,400.

A general maintenance mechanic annual salary averages $37,631, which breaks down to $18.09 an hour. However, general maintenance mechanics can earn anywhere from upwards of $27,000 to $51,000 a year. This means that the top-earning general maintenance mechanics make $31,000 more than the lowest-earning ones.

Once you've become a general maintenance mechanic, you may be curious about what other opportunities are out there. Careers aren't one size fits all. For that reason, we discovered some other jobs that you may find appealing. Some jobs you might find interesting include a mechanic, maintenance associate, maintenance engineer, and maintenance team member.

Learn More About General Maintenance Mechanic Job Descriptions

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5 General Maintenance Mechanic Resume Examples

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Carl Ramos General Maintenance Mechanic Contact Information Herndon, VA (680) 555-5435 cramos@example.com Skills Hvac Automotive Vehicles Door Hardware Communication Air Pressure Matlab Clear Coat Finish Coat High End Caulking Guns Employment History General Maintenance Mechanic 2018 - Present Bozzutos Herndon, VA Trained in LOTO and Confined Space Entry in accordance with OSHA standards. Maintained compliance with the regulations of OSHA. Maintenance Person 2016 - 2018 George Washington University Herndon, VA Maintain supplies and storage areas. Experience in welding, cutting and using various hand tools. Installed/calibrated electrical or mechanical equipment Identified malfunctions of plant operational equipment Tested and repaired electrical General Maintenance, plumbing, electrical, painting, tiling, dorm remodeling, cabinet building, woodshop production Directed Building Maintenance & Repair Operations of 835 Buildings totaling [ ] Square Feet. Maintained an open line of communication with co-workers and supervisors to deliver a great product Painter Helper 2006 - 2016 BAE Systems Herndon, VA help welders fitters and grinderswatch for fires when welding clean work area and maintain safety precautions at all times. Apply appropriate coats of primer and finish coats to required thickness. Prepared worksites for the welders, cleaned welds, and ensured supplies were readily available. Education High School Diploma 2006 - 2006


Nicholas Gray General Maintenance Mechanic Contact Info New York, NY (860) 555-6995 ngray@example.com Skills Mechanical EquipmentBuilding MaintenanceNew CustomersCustomer OrdersMaintenance TasksMenu ItemsSales FloorDoor HardwareGeneral MaintenanceWater Heaters Employment History General Maintenance Mechanic 2019 - Present McDonald's New York, NY Performed preventive maintenance on the restaurants' HVAC, water filtration, and lighting systems. Policed landscaping around facility and parking lot detail. Clean areas and dispose of garbage in accordance with the facility schedule. Maintain and repair electric water heating units, HVAC, heat pumps, and installation. Used hand tools to replace defective equipment parts. General Maintenance Mechanic 2010 - 2019 Cargill Wichita, KS Planed, purchased, and installed new sensors on the facility s most critical asset. General welding on various equipment including mig, tig, flux-core and stick. Performed preventive maintenance (PM) on installed electrical and mechanical equipment. Provided testing for compliance to meet OSHA standards and requirements Member of Safety Committee. Counter Sales Person 2005 - 2010 J. C. Penney Plano, TX Cash collection and counting while preparing bank deposits Preparation and manage payroll budget Scheduling Daily reconciliations Key holder Promote new products through knowledge of product and successful communication with customers. Make sure there's change for the store and that the bank deposits are ready each day. Worked on the sales floor in multiple departments. Education High School Diploma 2005 - 2005


Nicholas Gray General Maintenance Mechanic New York, NY (860) 555-6995 ngray@example.com Experience General Maintenance Mechanic2019 - Present McDonald's•New York, NY Performed preventive maintenance on the restaurants' HVAC, water filtration, and lighting systems. Policed landscaping around facility and parking lot detail. Clean areas and dispose of garbage in accordance with the facility schedule. Maintain and repair electric water heating units, HVAC, heat pumps, and installation. Used hand tools to replace defective equipment parts. General Maintenance Mechanic2010 - 2019 Cargill•Wichita, KS Planed, purchased, and installed new sensors on the facility s most critical asset. General welding on various equipment including mig, tig, flux-core and stick. Performed preventive maintenance (PM) on installed electrical and mechanical equipment. Provided testing for compliance to meet OSHA standards and requirements Member of Safety Committee. Counter Sales Person2005 - 2010 J. C. Penney•Plano, TX Cash collection and counting while preparing bank deposits Preparation and manage payroll budget Scheduling Daily reconciliations Key holder Promote new products through knowledge of product and successful communication with customers. Make sure there's change for the store and that the bank deposits are ready each day. Worked on the sales floor in multiple departments. Skills Mechanical EquipmentBuilding MaintenanceNew CustomersCustomer OrdersMaintenance TasksMenu ItemsSales FloorDoor HardwareGeneral MaintenanceWater Heaters Education High School Diploma 2005 - 2005

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General Maintenance Mechanic Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 16% of General Maintenance Mechanics are proficient in Plumbing, HVAC, and Customer Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Dexterity, and Troubleshooting skills.

We break down the percentage of General Maintenance Mechanics that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Plumbing, 16%
Team Leader-LandscapingTeam Leader-Mowing I also performed some maintenance technician duties which included* Electrical* Plumbing* Painting
HVAC, 11%
Maintain boilers, air handlers (HVAC), grease motors, replace belts, and components that are related.
Customer Service, 11%
Provided outstanding customer services in applying basic construction to more than 500 customers with 100% satisfied results.
Hand Tools, 5%
Assemble, install, test, and maintain electrical appliances, apparatus, and fixtures, using hand tools/power tools.
Ladders, 5%
Utilize safety practices relating to aerial lift vehicles, ladders and potentially hazardous environments.
Electrical Equipment, 4%
Research and requisition of repair parts for electrical equipment maintenance.

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"plumbing," "hvac," and "customer service" aren't the only skills we found general maintenance mechanics list on their resumes. In fact, there's a whole list of general maintenance mechanic responsibilities that we found, including:

Customer-service skills can be considered to be the most important personality trait for a general maintenance mechanic to have. According to a general maintenance mechanic resume, "these workers interact with customers on a regular basis" general maintenance mechanics are able to use customer-service skills in the following example we gathered from a resume: "responded to all guest calls for both tower and room maintenance to include all electrical repairs. "

Another trait important for fulfilling general maintenance mechanic duties is dexterity. According to a general maintenance mechanic resume, "many repair and maintenance tasks, such as repairing small devices, connecting or attaching components, and using hand tools, require a steady hand and good hand–eye coordination." Here's an example of how general maintenance mechanics are able to utilize dexterity: "maintained cleanliness of workout machines, bathrooms, locker rooms and weight lifting area. "

Troubleshooting skills is also an important skill for general maintenance mechanics to have. This example of how general maintenance mechanics use this skill comes from a general maintenance mechanic resume, "workers find, diagnose, and repair problems" Read this excerpt from a resume to understand how vital it is to their everyday roles and responsibilities, "perform troubleshooting procedures on electrical systems. "

See the full list of general maintenance mechanic skills.

After discovering the most helpful skills, we moved onto what kind of education might be helpful in becoming a general maintenance mechanic. We found that 16.6% of general maintenance mechanics have graduated with a bachelor's degree and 1.4% of people in this position have earned their master's degrees. While some general maintenance mechanics have a college degree, you may find it's also true that generally it's possible to be successful in this career with only a high school degree. In fact, our research shows that one out of every two general maintenance mechanics were not college graduates.

The general maintenance mechanics who went onto college to earn a more in-depth education generally studied business and general studies, while a small population of general maintenance mechanics studied electrical engineering technology and electrical engineering.

Once you're ready to become a general maintenance mechanic, you should explore the companies that typically hire general maintenance mechanics. According to general maintenance mechanic resumes that we searched through, general maintenance mechanics are hired the most by McDonald's, Presbyterian, and Hilton. Currently, McDonald's has 29 general maintenance mechanic job openings, while there are 9 at Presbyterian and 6 at Hilton.

But if you're interested in companies where you might earn a high salary, general maintenance mechanics tend to earn the biggest salaries at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Fluor, and Arconic. Take Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for example. The median general maintenance mechanic salary is $53,585. At Fluor, general maintenance mechanics earn an average of $53,428, while the average at Arconic is $50,772. You should take into consideration how difficult it might be to secure a job with one of these companies.

View more details on general maintenance mechanic salaries across the United States.

If you earned a degree from the top 100 educational institutions in the United States, you might want to take a look at Us Navy, University of Connecticut, and Frito-Lay. These three companies have hired a significant number of general maintenance mechanics from these institutions.

For the most part, general maintenance mechanics make their living in the hospitality and health care industries. General maintenance mechanics tend to make the most in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $41,234. The general maintenance mechanic annual salary in the hospitality and health care industries generally make $39,950 and $39,109 respectively. Additionally, general maintenance mechanics who work in the manufacturing industry make 37.2% more than general maintenance mechanics in the government Industry.

The three companies that hire the most prestigious general maintenance mechanics are:

McDonald's29 General Maintenance Mechanics Jobs
Presbyterian9 General Maintenance Mechanics Jobs
Hilton6 General Maintenance Mechanics Jobs

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What Mechanics Do

Mechanics are professionals responsible for assembling, maintaining, and repairing vehicles and types of machinery. They are knowledgeable of various tools and equipment, machinery, electrical systems, and other components. They can usually be seen indoors, garages in particular. Due to the advancement of technology, they are also required to be familiar with computer and software programs that can be used in auto shops and vehicles. They always work in safety precautions.

In this section, we compare the average general maintenance mechanic annual salary with that of a mechanic. Typically, mechanics earn a $9,518 higher salary than general maintenance mechanics earn annually.

While their salaries may differ, one common ground between general maintenance mechanics and mechanics are a few of the skills required in each craft. In both careers, employees bring forth skills like hvac, customer service, and hand tools.

There are some key differences in responsibilities as well. For example, a general maintenance mechanic responsibilities require skills like "plumbing," "electrical equipment," "mechanical equipment," and "caulking." Meanwhile a typical mechanic has skills in areas such as "preventive maintenance," "customer vehicles," "diagnosis," and "routine maintenance." This difference in skills reveals how truly different these two careers really are.

Mechanics tend to make the most money in the manufacturing industry by averaging a salary of $51,758. In contrast, general maintenance mechanics make the biggest average salary of $41,234 in the manufacturing industry.

On average, mechanics reach similar levels of education than general maintenance mechanics. Mechanics are 0.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

What Are The Duties Of a Maintenance Associate?

A maintenance associate is responsible for ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of the facilities, as well as inspecting and repairing broken machines and defective equipment to avoid delays in the operations. Maintenance associates monitor the adequacy of inventories, especially in manufacturing settings, coordinating with suppliers and third-party vendors for distribution and delivery. They also report hazardous incidents to the management, resolve maintenance complaints, and suggest quality control strategies to prevent reoccurrence and improve operational structures.

Next up, we have the maintenance associate profession to look over. This career brings along a lower average salary when compared to a general maintenance mechanic annual salary. In fact, maintenance associates salary difference is $2,530 lower than the salary of general maintenance mechanics per year.

A similarity between the two careers of general maintenance mechanics and maintenance associates are a few of the skills associated with both roles. We used resumes from both professions to find that both use skills like "plumbing," "hvac," and "customer service. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, several resumes showed us that general maintenance mechanic responsibilities requires skills like "electrical equipment," "switches," "door locks," and "osha." But a maintenance associate might use skills, such as, "clean environment," "sales floor," "groceries," and "clean restrooms."

It's been discovered that maintenance associates earn lower salaries compared to general maintenance mechanics, but we wanted to find out where maintenance associates earned the most pay. The answer? The manufacturing industry. The average salary in the industry is $37,733. Additionally, general maintenance mechanics earn the highest paychecks in the manufacturing with an average salary of $41,234.

When it comes to the differences in education between the two professions, maintenance associates tend to reach similar levels of education than general maintenance mechanics. In fact, they're 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

How a Maintenance Engineer Compares

A maintenance engineer is responsible for the maintenance of industrial machinery and inspects equipment defects for immediate troubleshooting or replacement as needed. Maintenance engineers install and upgrade system components to improve system optimization and perform diagnostic systems to locate any adjustments. They also conduct routine checks, assist clients with technical faults, and ensure that the equipment works safely for certain operations. A maintenance engineer must have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry to address technical malfunctions immediately.

The third profession we take a look at is maintenance engineer. On an average scale, these workers bring in higher salaries than general maintenance mechanics. In fact, they make a $9,502 higher salary per year.

While looking through the resumes of several general maintenance mechanics and maintenance engineers we discovered that both professions have similar skills. These similarities include skills such as "plumbing," "hvac," and "customer service," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers as shown by resumes from each profession. Some of those differences include the skills required to complete responsibilities within each role. As an example of this, a general maintenance mechanic is likely to be skilled in "safety procedures," "door locks," "minor maintenance," and "ventilation," while a typical maintenance engineer is skilled in "guest rooms," "maintenance tasks," "boilers," and "kitchen equipment."

When it comes to education, maintenance engineers tend to earn similar education levels than general maintenance mechanics. In fact, they're 4.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Description Of a Maintenance Team Member

Inspection, performance, and maintenance are the major functions of a maintenance team member. They are the ones responsible for repairing, fixing, monitoring, and ensuring that the equipment or tools are utilized properly without having any issues. This job position requires someone who is organized and can multi-task because of the unpredictable nature of the job.

Maintenance team members tend to earn a lower pay than general maintenance mechanics by about $8,599 per year.

While both general maintenance mechanics and maintenance team members complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like plumbing, hvac, and customer service, the two careers also vary in other skills.

Even though a few skill sets overlap, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a general maintenance mechanic might have more use for skills like "caulking," "electrical systems," "door locks," and "osha." Meanwhile, some maintenance team members might include skills like "pallets," "general maintenance," "safety standards," and "sales floor" on their resume.

Maintenance team members earn a higher salary in the technology industry with an average of $33,118. Whereas, general maintenance mechanics earn the highest salary in the manufacturing industry.

Maintenance team members reach similar levels of education when compared to general maintenance mechanics. The difference is that they're 2.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree more, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Updated October 2, 2020