How to hire a machine maintenance

How to hire a machine maintenance, step by step

Here's a step-by-step machine maintenance hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a machine maintenance, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect machine maintenance also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of machine maintenances and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Machine Maintenance	Description	Hourly rate
   Machine Maintenance	General maintenance and repair workers fix and maintain machines, mechanical equipment, and buildings. They paint, repair flooring, and work on plumbing, electrical, and air-conditioning and heating systems.	$13-24
   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... Show more	$22-36
   Industrial Maintenance Mechanic	An industrial maintenance mechanic is responsible for ensuring the efficiency and optimal performance of industrial equipment and machinery to support operations and prevent operational delays. Industrial maintenance mechanics perform regular maintenance for the equipment, inspecting the components for any malfunctions, and conduct immediate repairs as needed... Show more	$17-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Troubleshoot
   • Hand Tools
   • CNC
   • Grinders
   • PLC
   • Production Equipment
   • Industrial Maintenance
   • OSHA
   • Cranes
   • Machine Tools
   • General Maintenance
   • MIG
   • Hoists
   • Machine Repair

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Bench work including assembly of gearboxes, spindles, drills etc.
   • Weld metals with arc, mig, and gas.
   • Weld various metals and objects by the use of gas, arc, MIG, and TIG welding.
   • Require to troubleshoot when problem arise.
   • Maintain building plumbing, electrical, and safety issues.
   • Operate tools, including hoists, saws and drills.

   More machine maintenance duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your machine maintenance job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A machine maintenance salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a machine maintenance in North Dakota may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level machine maintenance usually earns less than a senior-level machine maintenance. Additionally, a machine maintenance with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average machine maintenance salary

   $38,764yearly

   $18.64 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level machine maintenance salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 21, 2025

   Average machine maintenance salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$43,960	$21
   2	Virginia	$43,540	$21
   3	Pennsylvania	$43,104	$21
   4	Missouri	$42,950	$21
   5	Illinois	$42,718	$21
   6	Wisconsin	$42,595	$20
   7	Indiana	$42,147	$20
   8	Nevada	$41,898	$20
   9	Ohio	$41,731	$20
   10	North Carolina	$41,654	$20
   11	Tennessee	$41,206	$20
   12	New York	$40,483	$19
   13	Arizona	$39,158	$19
   14	Oregon	$38,364	$18
   15	South Carolina	$37,624	$18
   16	Maryland	$37,605	$18
   17	Colorado	$37,459	$18
   18	Louisiana	$37,046	$18
   19	Nebraska	$36,300	$17
   20	Kansas	$35,887	$17

   Average machine maintenance salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Eli Lilly and Company	$68,414	$32.89	5
   2	Johnson Controls	$60,530	$29.10	33
   3	John Deere	$60,179	$28.93	2
   4	ISYS Technologies	$56,444	$27.14
   5	Pactiv	$55,865	$26.86	82
   6	Guidewire Software	$55,858	$26.85	2
   7	GCP Applied Technologies	$55,721	$26.79
   8	Dayton Freight	$55,400	$26.63	4
   9	MSC Industrial Direct Co	$54,610	$26.25	2
   10	Clear Channel Airport	$53,724	$25.83
   11	VSS	$53,485	$25.71
   12	Andersen	$53,071	$25.51
   13	Grede	$52,217	$25.10
   14	Valmont Industries	$50,856	$24.45	31
   15	Brookfield Properties	$50,772	$24.41	48
   16	Parkway	$50,555	$24.31	1
   17	Dairy Farmers of America	$50,530	$24.29	152
   18	ADM	$50,448	$24.25	100
   19	Kloeckner Metals	$50,293	$24.18	7
   20	American Senior Benefits	$49,821	$23.95	5

4. Writing a machine maintenance job description

   A job description for a machine maintenance role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a machine maintenance job description:

   Machine maintenance job description example

   * 401(k)

   * Worldwide Employee Hotel Room Discount

   What will I be doing?

   Maintains the facility's physical functionality, including guest rooms, public space, and heart-of-the-house areas. Performs various repairs and maintenance tasks, including carpentry, plumbing, electric, painting, HVAC, and masonry. Inspects guestrooms, public space, and heart-of-the-house for needed and preventive maintenance. Records and reports completed repairs and items that need further attention or require placing a room 'out of order. '

   What are we looking for?

   Since being founded in 1919, Hilton has been a leader in the hospitality industry. Today, Hilton remains a beacon of innovation, quality, and success. This continued leadership results from our Team Members staying true to our Vision, Mission, and Values. Specifically, we look for demonstration of these Values:

   • Hospitality - We're passionate about delivering exceptional guest experiences.
   • Integrity - We do the right thing all the time.
   • Leadership - We're leaders in our industry and our communities.
   • Teamwork - We're team players in everything we do.
   • Ownership - We're the owners of our actions and decisions.
   • Now - We operate with a sense of urgency and discipline

   In addition, we look for the demonstration of the following key attributes:

   • Quality
   • Productivity
   • Dependability
   • Customer Focus
   • Adaptability

   What will it be like to work for Hilton?

   Hilton is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. Hilton has offered business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities, and value for nearly a century. Hilton is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Our vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality unites us as a team to create remarkable hospitality experiences around the world every day. And our outstanding Team Members are at the heart of it all!

   EOE/AA/Disabled/Veterans

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right machine maintenance 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 machine maintenance job on Zippia to find and recruit machine maintenance candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting machine maintenances requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to 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 machine maintenance

   Once you've selected the best machine maintenance candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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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