How To Become A Maintenance Director: What It Is and Career Path

What is a maintenance director and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A maintenance director manages the maintenance operations of a company or organization. They ensure the proper function and maintenance of equipment, facilities, and infrastructure.. A maintenance director also develops maintenance policies, manages budgets, and supervises staff. They work with other departments to ensure that maintenance activities align with the overall goals of the organization. The essential skills for this role include effective communication, problem-solving skills, and technical knowledge.

ScoreMaintenance DirectorUS Average

Salary

5.4

Avg. Salary $68,901

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.0

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.49%

Asian 4.37%

Black or African American 10.26%

Hispanic or Latino 14.11%

Unknown 4.34%

White 66.44%

Gender

female 3.28%

male 96.72%

Age - 51

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 51

Stress level

8.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a maintenance director?

Pros

Competitive salary
Job security and stability
Opportunities for career advancement
Flexibility in work schedule and environment
Regular interaction with staff and community members

Cons

Physical demands, including lifting and climbing
Exposure to hazardous materials, chemicals, and equipment
Work outside of regular business hours, including evenings and weekends
Limited autonomy due to budget constraints or other limitations
Long hours or on-call availability during certain periods

Key steps to become a maintenance director

Explore maintenance director education requirements

Most common maintenance director degrees

Bachelor's

31.9 %

Associate

28.4 %

High School Diploma

21.1 %

Start to develop specific maintenance director skills

Skills	Percentages
Plumbing	11.82%
HVAC	8.12%
Life Safety	7.27%
Customer Service	5.28%
OSHA	5.00%

Complete relevant maintenance director training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New maintenance directors 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 maintenance director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real maintenance director resumes.

Gain additional maintenance director certifications

Maintenance director certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific maintenance director certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for maintenance directors include EPA Amusement Operators Safety Certification (EPA) and OSHA Safety Certificate .

More About Certifications

Research maintenance director duties and responsibilities

Manage a team of housekeepers who keep the building operating at top cleanliness and maintain the facility to meet state requirements.
Operate powered equipment such as mowers, snow blowers, chain-saws, electric clippers, extractors, and a skid-steer.
Perform preventative maintenance on building HVAC and other equipment, ensuring proper operation and functionality.
Experience in preventative maintenance programs, HVAC systems, janitorial/housekeeping procedures, financial operations and supervision of personnel.

Get maintenance director experience

Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a maintenance director. The most common roles before becoming a maintenance director include maintenance technician, maintenance supervisor team lead and maintenance manager.

Prepare your maintenance director resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your maintenance director 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 maintenance director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable maintenance director resume templates

Build a professional maintenance director 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 maintenance director resume.