How to hire a machine maintenance technician

How to hire a machine maintenance technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step machine maintenance technician 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 technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new machine maintenance technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a machine maintenance technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a machine maintenance technician, 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

   A machine maintenance technician's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, machine maintenance technicians from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of machine maintenance technician salaries for various roles:

   Type of Machine Maintenance Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Machine Maintenance Technician	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.	$14-27
   Tool Technician	Tool technicians are skilled professionals who are responsible for repairing a variety of pneumatic and hand tools as well as disassemble defective electrical equipment in a manufacturing firm using these hand tools. These technicians are required to coordinate with other areas of the company to schedule and perform preventive maintenance duties... Show more	$13-29
   Maintenance Engineer	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... Show more	$13-35

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Preventative Maintenance
   • Hand Tools
   • PLC
   • CNC Machines
   • Production Equipment
   • Mechanical Equipment
   • Hydraulic Systems
   • Industrial Maintenance
   • Continuous Improvement
   • HVAC
   • Machine Repair
   • Machine Tools
   • FANUC
   • Pneumatic Systems

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Operate mills, drills, surface grinders, sanders, and all shop equipment.
   • Work with metal lathes, milling machines, drill presses, grinders, etc.
   • Follow OSHA, USDA GMPs and HACCP protocols in all maintenance activities and other duties as assigned.
   • Involve in wiring, plumbing, mounting, leveling, squaring, and installing all types of machinery.
   • Maintain physical plant including HVAC and various systems including shop air, telephone, electrical, LAN and security.
   • Maintain equipment cleanliness during all process operations so as not to jeopardize product quality and/or purity.

   More machine maintenance technician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the machine maintenance technician job description is a good way to get more applicants. A machine maintenance technician salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a machine maintenance technician in Texas may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level machine maintenance technician. Additionally, a machine maintenance technician with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average machine maintenance technician salary

   $42,187yearly

   $20.28 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level machine maintenance technician salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average machine maintenance technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Minnesota	$55,148	$27
   2	Illinois	$52,372	$25
   3	Iowa	$51,156	$25
   4	California	$49,587	$24
   5	Wisconsin	$47,464	$23
   6	Ohio	$44,662	$21
   7	Washington	$44,484	$21
   8	Oregon	$43,911	$21
   9	New York	$43,714	$21
   10	Pennsylvania	$43,645	$21
   11	Kansas	$42,861	$21
   12	Georgia	$42,068	$20
   13	Michigan	$41,034	$20
   14	Colorado	$37,883	$18
   15	Indiana	$36,215	$17
   16	Texas	$35,935	$17
   17	Oklahoma	$33,954	$16

   Average machine maintenance technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Kennametal	$57,338	$27.57	27
   2	Crown Equipment	$56,309	$27.07	10
   3	Pentair	$56,224	$27.03	4
   4	Hartzell Propeller	$55,265	$26.57
   5	Avery Dennison	$54,617	$26.26	61
   6	Chromalloy Gas Turbine LLC	$53,211	$25.58	26
   7	Carrier	$52,942	$25.45	5
   8	Emerson	$52,504	$25.24	28
   9	Blue Origin	$51,121	$24.58	19
   10	Stratasys	$50,762	$24.40
   11	Piston Group	$50,756	$24.40	4
   12	Alstom	$50,416	$24.24	16
   13	Sig Sauer	$50,060	$24.07	4
   14	SpaceX	$49,927	$24.00	47
   15	rms	$49,879	$23.98
   16	Lippert Components	$49,628	$23.86	14
   17	Technipaq	$49,419	$23.76	4
   18	Keymark	$49,371	$23.74	1
   19	Baxter International	$48,838	$23.48	9
   20	Deluxe Corporation	$48,266	$23.20	4

4. Writing a machine maintenance technician job description

   A job description for a machine maintenance technician 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 technician job description:

   Machine maintenance technician job description example

   Are you an experienced Maintenance Technician? Come and join us in a career in the CNC machining/manufacturing world!
   
   No waiting period for benefits. Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA, Flexible Spending, Life Insurance, Short- and Long-Term Disability from Day 1!
   We offer a competitive Hire on Bonus between $2500 - $4500
   The position: We are seeking an experienced CNC Maintenance Technician for (2nd shift) to install, troubleshoot, repair, and maintain CNC equipment. Typical hours are Monday - Friday, 4:20pm to 2:50am. This shift offers a 10% shift differential. Must be available for overtime including weekends and during peak production times shifts will be extended to 10-hour shifts.
   Job duties: -Perform scheduled maintenance of production equipment -Provide emergency/unscheduled repairs of CNC production equipment during production -Diagnose problems, replace, or repair parts, test and make machine adjustments -Use a variety of hand and power tools, electric meters, and material handling equipment -Comply with safety regulations and maintain a clean, orderly work area
   The Right Person/What we need from you: -Strong mechanical aptitude and maintenance skill set - written skill assessment required -Two or more years of manufacturing maintenance experience in CNC machine tool repair is preferred -Strong troubleshooting skills -Highly motivated and able to work independently -Team player with positive outlook -Must be able to lift and move objects up to 50 pounds consistently with heavier weight necessary at times -Basic computer skills required -2 years applicable maintenance training -2+ years of manufacturing maintenance experience in CNC machine tool repair in a Fanuc systems environment -Must be able to read and write English
   What you get from us: *We offer immediate health benefits (1st Day of Employment): medical, dental and vision insurance *FREE short term and long-term disability and life insurance starting from 1st day of employment *Hire on Bonus *401k with company match *Paid vacation, sick time and holidays *Employee assistance program *Tuition assistance *Gain sharing bonuses *Clean, and safe manufacturing facility *Weekly paychecks *10% 2nd Shift differential (in addition to hourly rate) *Quarterly Food/Treats (Food Truck, Ice Cream, etc.)
   All About Acme: Acme Industries is an ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100:D certified successful manufacturing/machining organization working with top notch OEM's. In business since 1948 and serving markets such as transportation, aerospace, defense, mining, and energy. Our customers choose Acme Industries to act as their manufacturing partner because of our superior ability to optimize supply chain and technical support for machined parts, assemblies, and components. Acme's team of experts works with every customer to develop creative solutions for their particular manufacturing challenge. We love to see our employees smile. Whether it is from our fun employee giveaways, raffles, company treats, special holiday treats or the rewarding feeling of participating in our philanthropy projects. Acme wants you to enjoy your job here and feel appreciated. Come be a part of our awesome team!
   Acme Industries is a great place to work, our preferred method is to complete an application on our website: www.acmeind.com/careers/
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro

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5. Post your job

   To find the right machine maintenance technician for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with machine maintenance technicians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit machine maintenance technicians who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your machine maintenance technician job on Zippia to find and recruit machine maintenance technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit machine maintenance technicians, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 technician

   Once you have selected a candidate for the machine maintenance technician position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize 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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