How long does it take to become a Maintenance Manager?

It takes 9 years of professional experience to become a maintenance manager. That is the time it takes to learn specific maintenance manager skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 12 to 14 years years to become a maintenance manager.

Do you need a degree to be a maintenance manager?

No, you do not need a degree to be a maintenance manager. Many smaller facilities do not require a degree, but some larger companies may require a bachelor's degree. Having experience is valuable in getting a position as a maintenance manager. Many have at least five years of experience before obtaining a role as a maintenance manager, and some positions can require up to ten years of experience.

How much does a maintenance manager make a year?

Maintenance managers make an average salary of $75,000 a year. How much you make as a maintenance manager also depends on what kind of maintenance manager you specialize as. A plant or refinery maintenance manager can receive a much higher salary than other specialized maintenance managers, such as a warehouse maintenance manager. A plant or refinery maintenance manager's average salary can be more than $85,000 and up to an estimated $112,000 for more qualified maintenance managers.

What are the responsibilities of a maintenance department?

The responsibilities of a maintenance department involve the coordination and supervision of the plant or facility's maintenance. The maintenance department ensures that everything runs smoothly and at optimal performance.

What qualifications do you need to be a maintenance manager?

You need a bachelor's degree or similar education and adequate experience to meet the qualifications you need to be a maintenance manager. Experience is just as crucial as education for this role, with many positions requiring five to ten years of experience.

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

What is a maintenance manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A maintenance manager oversees the maintenance of buildings, equipment, and machinery. They work in industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, and hospitality. The role involves managing a team of technicians and ensuring that maintenance tasks are completed efficiently. Maintenance managers must also develop and implement preventive maintenance schedules to extend the lifespan of the equipment. Communication skills are important, as they must liaise with other departments to coordinate repairs and ensure compliance with safety regulations and standards.

ScoreMaintenance ManagerUS Average

Salary

5.6

Avg. Salary $72,269

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

9.3

Growth Rate 7%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.24%

Asian 2.12%

Black or African American 8.35%

Hispanic or Latino 15.92%

Unknown 4.51%

White 67.87%

Gender

female 5.95%

male 94.05%

Age - 50

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 - 50

Stress Level

9.3

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.4

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

2.6

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Maintenance Manager?

Pros

Job security due to the necessity of maintenance in all industries
Hands-on work with equipment and machinery
Competitive salary and benefits package
Variety in tasks and responsibilities
Potential for overtime pay

Cons

Physical demands of the job, including heavy lifting and exposure to harsh weather conditions
Responsibility for the safety of employees and adherence to regulations can be overwhelming
Potential for conflict resolution with employees or contractors
Pressure to maintain budgets and minimize costs while still providing necessary maintenance
Difficulties in balancing preventative maintenance with urgent repairs and projects

Key steps to become a maintenance manager

Explore maintenance manager education requirements

Most common maintenance manager degrees

Bachelor's

41.5 %

Associate

25.8 %

High School Diploma

16.2 %

Start to develop specific maintenance manager skills

Skills	Percentages
OSHA	7.12%
Customer Service	6.20%
Plumbing	5.64%
HVAC	5.58%
Continuous Improvement	4.94%

Complete relevant maintenance manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New maintenance managers 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 manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real maintenance manager resumes.

Gain additional maintenance manager certifications

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

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

More About Certifications

Research maintenance manager duties and responsibilities

Select, contract, and manage vendors for MRO supplies or specialize maintenance services.
Maintain OEE on all equipment to achieve run performance goals and to produce 500MM pounds of finish product a year.
Arrange and schedule preventative and predictive maintenance activities to ensure maximum plant operational effectiveness using the CMMS system.
Reduce conversion expenses for plant maintenance by developing and implementing cost control strategies and the implementation CMMS base preventive maintenance program.

Prepare your maintenance manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your maintenance manager 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 manager 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 Manager Resume templates

Build a professional Maintenance Manager 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 Manager resume.

Apply for maintenance manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a maintenance manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do maintenance managers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Maintenance Manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019

Pros

Fast Pace, solving problems working with outside groups.

Cons

Engineering not understanding processes

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Pros

The right things should be done at right time, and the correct material should by use at the right place

Cons

Not to use right tools at the wrong place, or use the wrong tools at right place.

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2019

Pros

As it is a maintenance job the equipment or machines develope new problems which may be u have not seen before, so l will say it help me learn new things every day.

Cons

Not being able to to resolve issue for my client within the expected time.

What is a maintenance manager and how to become one

What are the pros and cons of being a Maintenance Manager?

Maintenance Manager career paths

Key steps to become a maintenance manager

Explore maintenance manager education requirements

Most common maintenance manager degrees

Start to develop specific maintenance manager skills

Complete relevant maintenance manager training and internships

Gain additional maintenance manager certifications

Research maintenance manager duties and responsibilities

Prepare your maintenance manager resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Maintenance Manager Resume templates

Apply for maintenance manager jobs

How Did You Land Your First Maintenance Manager Job

Average maintenance manager salary

How do maintenance managers rate their job?

Maintenance Manager reviews

Maintenance Manager FAQs

How long does it take to become a Maintenance Manager?

Do you need a degree to be a maintenance manager?

How much does a maintenance manager make a year?

What are the responsibilities of a maintenance department?

What qualifications do you need to be a maintenance manager?

Search for maintenance manager jobs

Maintenance Manager jobs by state