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What does a maintenance supervisor do?

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read
What does a maintenance supervisor do

A maintenance supervisor is responsible for directing and managing the overall maintenance department, inspecting the safety of operation equipment, and ensuring that everyone follows the standards and regulatory procedures to keep the production area safe and efficient. Maintenance supervisor duties also include delegating tasks to the maintenance personnel, evaluating the site condition regularly, reviewing inventory, and requesting stocks as necessary. They must also keep track of incident reports and connect with the operations management for any concerns and recommendations.

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Maintenance supervisor responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real maintenance supervisor resumes:

  • Maintain OEE on all equipment to achieve run performance goals and to produce 500MM pounds of finish product a year.
  • Complete plumbing, electrical, general maintenance and re-key requirements.
  • Complete preventative maintenance and repair of electrical and plumbing systems.
  • Control all maintenance relate documentation including work orders and preventative maintenance, utilizing MP2 CMMS software.
  • Develop employee relations programs and enforce OSHA safety regulations; continually advance the effectiveness of safety programs and promote safety operations.
  • Replace motors, ball screws, pumps, drives, and encoders.
  • Experience in writing and enforcing USDA and GMP procedures.
  • Train personnel to perform GMP and warehouse functions while reducing operating costs.
  • Coordinate annual maintenanceprojects including, planting, mowing, and leaf and debris removal.
  • Increase general safety awareness and raise the standards for LOTO and confine space entry.
  • Ensure rock washing, crushing and asphalt plants operate safely and meet production goals.
  • Supervise asphalt plant maintenance and plant staff to ensure continuous production of hot mix asphalt.
  • Involve in LOTO program and well as training of employees on lift trucks and boom lifts.
  • Paint buildings, curbs, pavements, and large signs requiring the use of step and extension ladders.
  • Certify official USDA inspection reports and recommend approval of payments to contracts, and complete required receiving reports.

Maintenance supervisor skills and personality traits

We calculated that 10% of Maintenance Supervisors are proficient in Plumbing, HVAC, and Customer Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Dexterity, and Troubleshooting skills.

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

  • Plumbing, 10%

    Maintained operations for 240-unit apartment complex as an effective leader focused on handling HVAC, plumbing and electrical/structural repairs.

  • HVAC, 10%

    Determined schedules and workloads and supervised HVAC Service/Maintenance staff.

  • Customer Service, 8%

    Managed maintenance budget, ordering and inventory * Acted as primary customer liaison for residents and provided outstanding customer service

  • OSHA, 6%

    Developed employee relations programs and enforced OSHA safety regulations; continually advanced the effectiveness of safety programs and promoted safety operations.

  • Ladders, 3%

    Crawl into tight spaces, onto ladders and into attics to complete projects.

  • General Maintenance, 3%

    Provided general maintenance to all manufacturing and operating systems and implemented upgrades and improvements to systems and processes.

Common skills that a maintenance supervisor uses to do their job include "plumbing," "hvac," and "customer service." You can find details on the most important maintenance supervisor responsibilities below.

Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a maintenance supervisor to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "these workers interact with customers on a regular basis." Maintenance supervisors often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "provided supervision and direction for all housekeeping/maintenance activities and ensured the highest level of cleanliness to maintain overall guest satisfaction. "

Dexterity. Another essential skill to perform maintenance supervisor duties is dexterity. Maintenance supervisors responsibilities require that "many repair and maintenance tasks, such as repairing small devices, connecting or attaching components, and using hand tools, require a steady hand and good hand–eye coordination." Maintenance supervisors also use dexterity in their role according to a real resume snippet: "contracted pm maintenance on hvac systems, vibration analysis, air compressors, dock levelers and forklift leasing and pm. "

Troubleshooting skills. maintenance supervisors are also known for troubleshooting skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to maintenance supervisor responsibilities, because "workers find, diagnose, and repair problems." A maintenance supervisor resume example shows how troubleshooting skills is used in the workplace: "performed troubleshooting and routine maintenance of hospital facility * hired and trained new employees"

All maintenance supervisor skills

The three companies that hire the most maintenance supervisors are:

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Compare different maintenance supervisors

Maintenance supervisor vs. Equipment maintenance technician

An equipment maintenance technician is responsible for ensuring the stability and efficiency of all production tools and equipment to support smooth business functions and operations. Equipment maintenance technicians conduct regular maintenance for optimization, repair defective components, and inspect equipment parts to identify possible upgrades and replacements. They also assemble equipment and machinery, requiring them to have excellent mechanical and critical-thinking skills to analyze schematics and blueprints accurately. An equipment maintenance technician must be highly communicative and organizational, especially in adhering to the highest safety standards and protocols during operations.

The annual salary of equipment maintenance technicians is $11,729 lower than the average salary of maintenance supervisors.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both maintenance supervisor and equipment maintenance technician positions are skilled in plumbing, hvac, and osha.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between maintenance supervisors and equipment maintenance technician. For instance, maintenance supervisor responsibilities require skills such as "customer service," "ladders," "general maintenance," and "safety standards." Whereas a equipment maintenance technician is skilled in "preventive maintenance," "test equipment," "ac," and "strong work ethic." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Equipment maintenance technicians tend to make the most money working in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $46,565. In contrast, maintenance supervisors make the biggest average salary, $73,337, in the automotive industry.On average, equipment maintenance technicians reach similar levels of education than maintenance supervisors. Equipment maintenance technicians are 1.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Maintenance supervisor vs. Engineering/maintenance manager

Engineering and maintenance managers are skilled executive professionals who manage the daily activities of the engineering department while directing the maintenance of all types of machinery in a manufacturing plant. These managers are required to develop preventive maintenance procedures and inspections for all manufacturing equipment so that they can reduce machine downtime. They must ensure that contractors are trained to respond to emergencies and follow all the processes that are documented within the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. Engineering and maintenance managers must also create a budget to manage the expenditures related to plant equipment upgrades.

Engineering/maintenance manager positions earn higher pay than maintenance supervisor roles. They earn a $42,233 higher salary than maintenance supervisors per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both maintenance supervisors and engineering/maintenance managers have skills such as "plumbing," "hvac," and "osha. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, maintenance supervisor responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "customer service," "ladders," "general maintenance," and "hand tools." Meanwhile, an engineering/maintenance manager has duties that require skills in areas such as "project management," "plant maintenance," "predictive maintenance," and "process improvement." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Engineering/maintenance managers earn a higher average salary than maintenance supervisors. But engineering/maintenance managers earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $98,678. Additionally, maintenance supervisors earn the highest salaries in the automotive with average pay of $73,337 annually.engineering/maintenance managers earn higher levels of education than maintenance supervisors in general. They're 8.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Maintenance supervisor vs. Facilities maintenance manager

A facilities maintenance manager is in charge of performing regular inspections and maintenance repairs within an establishment's machines and facilities. Their responsibilities revolve around responding to issues and concerns, identifying the root of problems, installing and repairing machines and devices, and even maintaining the cleanliness of different areas. They may also produce progress reports, assess the performance of the maintenance team, and manage everyone's schedules. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to coordinate and lead the team, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

On average scale, facilities maintenance managers bring in higher salaries than maintenance supervisors. In fact, they earn a $15,962 higher salary per year.maintenance supervisors and facilities maintenance managers both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "plumbing," "hvac," and "customer service," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, maintenance supervisors are more likely to have skills like "hand tools," "maintenance procedures," "safety standards," and "maintenance tasks." But a facilities maintenance manager is more likely to have skills like "facility operations," "continuous improvement," "project management," and "oversight."

Facilities maintenance managers typically earn higher educational levels compared to maintenance supervisors. Specifically, they're 5.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Maintenance supervisor vs. Senior maintenance technician

A senior maintenance technician is responsible for the maintenance and repairs of an establishment or household's electrical and mechanical systems. Senior maintenance technicians handle the installation of ventilation systems, as well as the inspection of equipment and machinery, to ensure optimal performance and efficiency for business operations. They also monitor the adequacy of inventories needed to set up systems and other functionalities. A senior maintenance technician must have excellent organizational and mechanical skills and the ability to follow safety procedures and processes during operations.

Senior maintenance technicians typically earn lower pay than maintenance supervisors. On average, senior maintenance technicians earn a $5,704 lower salary per year.According to resumes from maintenance supervisors and senior maintenance technicians, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "plumbing," "hvac," and "customer service. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between maintenance supervisors and senior maintenance technicians, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a maintenance supervisor might have more use for skills like "safety standards," "cleanliness," "maintenance tasks," and "maintenance repairs." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of senior maintenance technicians require skills like "pet," "predictive maintenance," "conveyor systems," and "switches. "

Senior maintenance technicians enjoy the best pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $62,681. For comparison, maintenance supervisors earn the highest salary in the automotive industry.senior maintenance technicians reach similar levels of education compared to maintenance supervisors, in general. The difference is that they're 0.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of maintenance supervisor

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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