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How to hire a Maintenance Associate

Maintenance associate hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring maintenance associates in the United States:

  • There are a total of 247,274 maintenance associates in the US, and there are currently 92,078 job openings in this field.
  • The median cost to hire a maintenance associate is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per maintenance associate on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • New York, NY, has the highest demand for maintenance associates, with 25 job openings.

How to hire a maintenance associate, step by step

To hire a maintenance associate, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a maintenance associate:

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

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

What does a Maintenance Associate do?

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.

Learn more about the specifics of what a maintenance associate does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    The maintenance associate hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

    Determine Employee vs Contractor Status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A maintenance associate's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, maintenance associates 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.

    This list shows salaries for various types of maintenance associates.

    Type Of Maintenance AssociateDescriptionHourly Rate
    Maintenance AssociateGeneral 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.$12-22
    Groundskeeping MaintenanceA Groundskeeping Maintenance Worker performs several skilled and semi-skilled tasks in grounds keeping and building trade areas. They maintain turf places, including weed control and Integrated Pest Management... Show More$11-18
    Airport Maintenance LabourAn airport maintenance labour worker is primarily responsible for performing various maintenance and repair tasks. Their responsibilities usually include inspecting malfunctioning equipment, troubleshooting issues, fixing electrical and plumbing systems, replacing fixtures such as light bulbs, monitoring and restocking supplies, and submitting reports to managers as necessary... Show More$11-19
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common Skills:
    • Customer Service
    • Clean Environment
    • Sales Floor
    • Cleanliness
    • Hand Tools
    • Groceries
    • Clean Restrooms
    • Plumbing
    • General Maintenance
    • Building Maintenance
    • HVAC
    • Ladders
    • Clean Floors
    • Blowers
    Check All Skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Preform schedule maintenance on mowers, weed eaters, edgers, and blowers.
    • Work with the electricians, plumber, HVAC crew, grounds crew, and carpenters.
    • Perform minor adjustments on HVAC systems, room furniture, fixtures and other items in apartments.
    • Repair and troubleshoot defective equipment.
    • Wash all interior/exterior windows using extension poles and/or ladders.
    • Perform cleanliness of all assess of retail facility for consumer/employee use
    More Maintenance Associate duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your maintenance associate job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A maintenance associate can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, maintenance associates' average salary in arkansas is 37% less than in wisconsin.
    • Seniority. Entry-level maintenance associates 47% less than senior-level maintenance associates.
    • Certifications. A maintenance associate with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a maintenance associate's salary.

    Average maintenance associate salary

    $35,101yearly

    $16.88 hourly rate

    Entry-level maintenance associate salary
    $25,000 yearly salary
    Updated February 10, 2025

    Average maintenance associate salary by state

    RankStateAvg. SalaryHourly Rate
    1Wisconsin$42,076$20
    2Minnesota$41,906$20
    3Washington$40,558$20
    4New York$39,767$19
    5Massachusetts$39,142$19
    6California$39,037$19
    7Illinois$38,211$18
    8Georgia$36,747$18
    9Ohio$36,124$17
    10Pennsylvania$36,092$17
    11Louisiana$35,875$17
    12Maryland$35,586$17
    13Virginia$35,510$17
    14Colorado$34,491$17
    15South Dakota$34,118$16
    16Missouri$32,624$16
    17Arizona$32,265$16
    18Texas$32,155$15
    19Mississippi$30,802$15
    20North Carolina$29,983$14

    Average maintenance associate salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
    1IDEX$55,932$26.892
    2Community Academy Public Charter School$53,645$25.791
    3Amgen$52,205$25.1010
    4Sinclair Broadcast Group$49,841$23.963
    5Danaher$49,718$23.9032
    6Pactiv$49,098$23.6088
    7Techtronic Industries TTI$48,889$23.502
    8Armstrong Flooring$48,588$23.362
    9El Paso Electric$48,426$23.28
    10Corning Incorporated$48,143$23.1512
    11United Natural Foods$47,280$22.7311
    12McKesson$46,988$22.5914
    13Andersen$46,757$22.484
    14Jennings$46,728$22.47
    15Tesla$46,562$22.3955
    16Belcan$46,507$22.3612
    17MSI$46,169$22.208
    18JPMorgan Chase & Co.$45,766$22.00
    19Kimberly-Clark$45,525$21.895
    20Parker Hannifin$45,374$21.8120
  4. Writing a Maintenance Associate Job Description

    A job description for a maintenance associate 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 maintenance associate job description:

    Maintenance Associate job description example

    • Plan, layout and perform all required operations to install, maintain and repair a wide variety of plant equipment and accessories.
    • Effectively troubleshoot using manuals, schematics, and diagrams to diagnose and eliminate problems as they arise.
    • Safely install, maintain, and upgrade 3 phase motor control systems, AC/DC circuits, possess understanding of basic relay logic.
    • Understand fluid power systems; troubleshoot, install, and repair power units, valve operation, cylinders, motors, pumps
    • Perform basic fabrication by cutting and welding operations
    • Perform preventative maintenance on equipment using standard practices and procedures.
    • Maintain work areas, tools and equipment in a clean and orderly condition.
    • Follow all company and equipment safety guidelines and ethics rules.

    NON-ESSENTIAL TASKS:

    • Maintain lift truck operator's license, main lift and other material handling equipment.
    • Perform other duties as requested.

    *It is ATI's policy to not provide immigration sponsorship for any of the company's positions.

    ATI and its subsidiary companies will provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants without regard to applicant's race, color, religion, sex, gender, genetic information, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or any other status protected be federal or state law. The company will provide reasonable accommodations to allow an applicant to participate in the hiring process if so requested.

    Requirements
    • General high school diploma.
    • Must be able to maintain IME certification by fulfilling all requirements
    • Two-year trade school or equivalent experience in industrial mechanical or electrical is required.
    • Operate the maintenance computer to maintain records, work history and inventory of parts.
    • Use meters, gauges, or other types of test equipment to facilitate quality and timely repairs.
    PandoLogic. Keywords: Maintenance Technician, Location: Monroe, NC - 28110
  5. Post your job

    To find maintenance associates for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any maintenance associates they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level maintenance associates with the right educational background.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your maintenance associate job on Zippia to find and recruit maintenance associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with maintenance associate candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

    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 maintenance associate

    Once you've found the maintenance associate candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    To prepare for the new maintenance associate first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

  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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How much does it cost to hire a maintenance associate?

Recruiting maintenance associates involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

You can expect to pay around $35,101 per year for a maintenance associate, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for maintenance associates in the US typically range between $12 and $22 an hour.

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