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

What is a maintenance lead technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A maintenance lead technician is an individual responsible for overseeing the maintenance and repair of equipment, machinery, and facilities in various industries. They are skilled professionals who possess extensive knowledge of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Their main duties include inspecting equipment, identifying malfunctions, and developing effective repair strategies. Maintenance lead technicians are required to have strong leadership skills, excellent problem-solving abilities, and the ability to work well under pressure.

ScoreMaintenance Lead TechnicianUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $50,662

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.6

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.19%

Asian 4.68%

Black or African American 11.77%

Hispanic or Latino 17.46%

Unknown 4.28%

White 60.62%

Gender

female 3.79%

male 96.21%

Age - 49

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 - 49

Stress level

7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a maintenance lead technician?

Pros

Hands-on work with machinery and equipment
Job security in industries that require maintenance
Chance to problem-solve and troubleshoot
Potential for career advancement
Good pay and benefits

Cons

Physically demanding work
High-pressure environment with tight deadlines
Long hours and potential for on-call or weekend work
Responsibility for the safety of others
Need for constant attention to detail

Key steps to become a maintenance lead technician

Explore maintenance lead technician education requirements

Most common maintenance lead technician degrees

Associate

33.0 %

High School Diploma

28.9 %

Bachelor's

16.0 %

Start to develop specific maintenance lead technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Preventative Maintenance	10.32%
Customer Service	7.84%
Plumbing	7.52%
HVAC	6.37%
Ladders	5.41%

Complete relevant maintenance lead technician training and internships

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

Gain additional maintenance lead technician certifications

Maintenance lead technician 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 lead technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

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

More About Certifications

Research maintenance lead technician duties and responsibilities

Fabricate tooling using MIG welder.
Operate machinery that include cutting torches, MIG welders, robotics, and magnaflux inspection.
Develop energy-saving strategies to the HVAC software that result in implementation cross site generating profit stream ranging in thousands per site.
Perform these safety audits on ladders, forklifts, exit signs, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers and eye wash stations.

Get maintenance lead technician experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a maintenance lead technician. The most common roles before becoming a maintenance lead technician include maintenance technician, maintenance supervisor team lead and electrician.

Prepare your maintenance lead technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your maintenance lead technician 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 lead technician 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 lead technician resume templates

Build a professional maintenance lead technician 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 lead technician resume.