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What does a maintenance machinist do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does a maintenance machinist do

A Maintenance Machinist is responsible for implementing and maintaining industrial machinery. Their primary duties include investigating and diagnosing equipment failures and performing corrective actions.

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Maintenance machinist responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real maintenance machinist resumes:

  • Manage and perform programming of CNC mills, lathes and EDM equipment, instrumentation, data acquisition and control systems.
  • Set up and operate machine tools, mills, lathes, radial drills, vertical turret lathe, and surface grinders.
  • Certify with, and task with training others in, SolidWorks and CamWorks.
  • Set up and run lathes, mills, I.D.
  • Program, set-up, and run HAAS VF-3 milling center.
  • Used various micrometers for measuring.
  • Program & operate MAZAK CNC machines.
  • Thread and fit plumbing of pneumatic and water systems.
  • Machine and assemble racks (welding, brazing & soldering).
  • Automate assembly machine design and building Omron PLC programming, machine wiring
  • Machine parts in CNC mills using Mastercam or manual mill and surface grinder.
  • Used SOLIDWORKS 3D software to develop the initial design of the fuselage and payload.
  • Work in repair, tooling, and some production for aerospace and computer parts.
  • Perform MIG welding in large case to frame specializing on the D10 finish weld robot.
  • Read cad drawings as well as blue prints to make parts for the printing industry.

Maintenance machinist skills and personality traits

We calculated that 11% of Maintenance Machinists are proficient in CNC, Grinders, and Hand Tools. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Manual dexterity, and Math skills and computer application experience.

We break down the percentage of Maintenance Machinists that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • CNC, 11%

    Calculated optimum operating conditions program offsets and tooling of CNC.

  • Grinders, 9%

    Operated Grinders in an industrial metal fabrication operation

  • Hand Tools, 7%

    Repair or replace parts such as pistons, rods, gears, valves and bearings, using mechanic's hand tools.

  • Calipers, 6%

    Checked measurements using calipers and micrometers.

  • Manual Lathes, 5%

    Run manual lathes and drill presses, building new and repairing an assortment of tools and parts Oilfield and agriculturally related.

  • Machine Tools, 4%

    Program emphasized utilization of machining equipment and mechanical repair of machine tools.

Common skills that a maintenance machinist uses to do their job include "cnc," "grinders," and "hand tools." You can find details on the most important maintenance machinist responsibilities below.

Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a maintenance machinist to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "machinists and tool and die makers must be able to interpret technical blueprints, models, and specifications so that they can craft precision tools and metal parts." Additionally, a maintenance machinist resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "retrieved and downloaded cnc programs to machine controller using computing equipment and downloading from various servers/databases. "

Manual dexterity. Another essential skill to perform maintenance machinist duties is manual dexterity. Maintenance machinists responsibilities require that "machinists’ and tool and die makers’ work demands accuracy, sometimes to within .0001 of an inch." Maintenance machinists also use manual dexterity in their role according to a real resume snippet: "operated manual lathe, bridgeport, drill press, steel saws, and cranes. "

Mechanical skills. A big part of what maintenance machinists do relies on "mechanical skills." You can see how essential it is to maintenance machinist responsibilities because "machinists and tool and die makers may operate milling machines, lathes, grinders, laser and water jetting machines, wire electrical discharge machines, and other machine tools." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical maintenance machinist tasks: "worked fabricating and assembling bridge mechanicals for draw and swing bridges repair work on cranes with extensive rigging procedures"

Physical stamina. A commonly-found skill in maintenance machinist job descriptions, "physical stamina" is essential to what maintenance machinists do. Maintenance machinist responsibilities rely on this skill because "machinist and tool and die makers must stand for extended periods and perform repetitious movements." You can also see how maintenance machinist duties rely on physical stamina in this resume example: "assembled and maintained physical structures, using hand tools or power tools. "

Technical skills. Another skill commonly found on maintenance machinist job descriptions is "technical skills." It can come up quite often in maintenance machinist duties, since "machinists and tool and die makers must understand metalworking processes." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day maintenance machinist responsibilities: "provided technical support in building complex composite parts, specifically during planning, engineering drawings, or specifications. "

See the full list of maintenance machinist skills

The three companies that hire the most maintenance machinists are:

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Compare different maintenance machinists

Maintenance machinist vs. 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. They must provide support for CNC operators by setting up the caliper and micrometer of all the CNC machines. Tool technicians must also assist coworkers in ordering materials and purchasing machine parts.

The annual salary of tool technicians is $9,169 lower than the average salary of maintenance machinists.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both maintenance machinist and tool technician positions are skilled in cnc, grinders, and hand tools.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, maintenance machinist responsibilities require skills like "cranes," "math," "preventative maintenance," and "aluminum." Meanwhile a typical tool technician has skills in areas such as "first hand," "micrometers," "preventive maintenance," and "injection molds." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Tool technicians tend to make the most money working in the energy industry, where they earn an average salary of $64,215. In contrast, maintenance machinists make the biggest average salary, $61,086, in the technology industry.On average, tool technicians reach similar levels of education than maintenance machinists. Tool technicians are 1.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Maintenance machinist vs. Tool maker

The job of a toolmaker is to make precision tools, holding devices, and special guides that are used in the manufacturing process. You will be responsible for repairing, maintaining, and improving jigs, fixtures, and fittings for press tools and all tooling dies, conducting routine regrinding and servicing of tools, and ensuring compliance with all quality standard regulations. In addition, you may be tasked to operate lifting equipment and forklift truck and document die history and other relevant records. You will also be responsible for conducting preventative maintenance.

On average, tool makers earn a $366 higher salary than maintenance machinists a year.A few skills overlap for maintenance machinists and tool makers. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "grinders," "hand tools," and "calipers. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that maintenance machinist responsibilities requires skills like "cnc," "osha," "cranes," and "aluminum." But a tool maker might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "cnc machines," "assembly fixtures," "cam," and "drill presses."

Tool makers earn a higher average salary than maintenance machinists. But tool makers earn the highest pay in the automotive industry, with an average salary of $57,697. Additionally, maintenance machinists earn the highest salaries in the technology with average pay of $61,086 annually.tool makers earn similar levels of education than maintenance machinists in general. They're 1.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Maintenance machinist vs. Grinder

Depending on the industry, a grinder has a diverse range of duties. Typically, they oversee setting up and operating bearing grinders, cam grinders, and CNC lathes. A grinder must meet with the manufacturer's specifications by making use of shop drawings. Additionally, they may be tasked with repairing any mechanical breakdowns on the machines.

An average grinder eans a lower salary compared to the average salary of maintenance machinists. The difference in salaries amounts to grinders earning a $19,076 lower average salary than maintenance machinists.By looking over several maintenance machinists and grinders resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "cnc," "grinders," and "hand tools." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a maintenance machinist is likely to be skilled in "manual lathes," "machine tools," "osha," and "cranes," while a typical grinder is skilled in "grinding wheels," "safety procedures," "quality standards," and "grinding tools."

Grinders make a very good living in the automotive industry with an average annual salary of $40,459. On the other hand, maintenance machinists are paid the highest salary in the technology industry, with average annual pay of $61,086.Most grinders achieve a similar degree level compared to maintenance machinists. For example, they're 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Maintenance machinist vs. Numerical control operator

A numerical control operator is responsible for monitoring machinery and managing computer-generated equipment to produce tools and components from various mechanical resources. Numerical control operators must have extensive knowledge with the technology and mechanical industry to perform basic troubleshooting and detect malfunctions during operations. A numerical control operator duties' also include inspecting equipment setup and finished products, ensuring high-quality parts, reviewing blueprints, following client's specifications for making adjustments, and adhering to the safety guidelines and procedures required by the business.

Numerical control operators tend to earn a lower pay than maintenance machinists by an average of $13,797 per year.While both maintenance machinists and numerical control operators complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like hand tools, calipers, and manual lathes, the two careers vary in some skills.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between maintenance machinists and numerical control operators, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a maintenance machinist might have more use for skills like "cnc," "grinders," "osha," and "cranes." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of numerical control operators require skills like "micrometers," "lathe machines," "safety standards," and "basic math. "

In general, numerical control operators earn the most working in the automotive industry, with an average salary of $41,888. The highest-paying industry for a maintenance machinist is the technology industry.In general, numerical control operators hold similar degree levels compared to maintenance machinists. Numerical control operators are 0.2% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of maintenance machinist

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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