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What does an operations and maintenance technician do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does an operations and maintenance technician do

Operations and maintenance technicians are skilled professionals who are responsible for conducting preventive maintenance of all equipment used in the operation of an organization. These technicians are required to ensure that their facilities are always operational by performing inspections and documenting the operating conditions of their equipment. They must utilize numerous power and hand tools so that they can perform all preventive maintenance and diagnose mechanical problems. Operations and maintenance technicians must also monitor the operation of plan equipment to ensure that employees are following the proper maintenance and safety procedures.

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Operations and maintenance technician responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real operations and maintenance technician resumes:

  • Stoop, climb ladders, and lift heavy loads during set-up.
  • Replace and install motors, PLC I/O controls, valves, and safety lights.
  • Perform preventive maintenance on all HVAC units and monitor daily readings of chillers and boilers.
  • Experience in electronic controls, PLC's, calibrations, troubleshooting and maintenance of electronic controls.
  • Monitored/Maintain all HVAC and relate equipment.
  • Contact and direct excavating, electrical and plumbing contractors for installations of remediation systems.
  • Implement a centralize electronic LOTO system which improve compliance and oversight to remote facilities.
  • Perform facility tool and system PMs according to manufacturing and internal specifications.

Operations and maintenance technician skills and personality traits

We calculated that 6% of Operations And Maintenance Technicians are proficient in Hand Tools, Preventative Maintenance, and HVAC. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Dexterity, and Troubleshooting skills.

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

  • Hand Tools, 6%

    Attach farm implements such as plows, discs, sprayers, or harvesters to tractors, using bolts and hand tools

  • Preventative Maintenance, 6%

    Train and develop other employees in performing preventative maintenance and routine equipment service activities.

  • HVAC, 5%

    Monitored/maintained all HVAC and related equipment.

  • Plumbing, 4%

    Contacted and directed excavating, electrical and plumbing contractors for installations of remediation systems.

  • Safety Procedures, 4%

    Created safety procedures that improved worker conditions and customer satisfaction.

  • PLC, 3%

    Limited experience with Allen Bradley PLC, troubleshooting I/O to Ovation DCS.

Most operations and maintenance technicians use their skills in "hand tools," "preventative maintenance," and "hvac" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential operations and maintenance technician responsibilities here:

Customer-service skills. One of the key soft skills for an operations and maintenance technician to have is customer-service skills. You can see how this relates to what operations and maintenance technicians do because "these workers interact with customers on a regular basis." Additionally, an operations and maintenance technician resume shows how operations and maintenance technicians use customer-service skills: "perform various tasks assigned by work orders, preventative maintenance schedule, property manager requests, and direct customer requests. "

Dexterity. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling operations and maintenance technician duties is dexterity. The role rewards competence in this skill because "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." According to an operations and maintenance technician resume, here's how operations and maintenance technicians can utilize dexterity in their job responsibilities: "stooped, climbed ladders, and lifted heavy loads during set-up. "

Troubleshooting skills. operations and maintenance technicians are also known for troubleshooting skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to operations and maintenance technician responsibilities, because "workers find, diagnose, and repair problems." An operations and maintenance technician resume example shows how troubleshooting skills is used in the workplace: "plant operations- control room, equipment, troubleshooting, and production floormaintenance- pumps, pipefitting, lab- process, testing,"

All operations and maintenance technician skills

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Operations And Maintenance Technician Resume
Operations And Maintenance Technician Resume
Operations And Maintenance Technician Resume
Operations And Maintenance Technician Resume
Operations And Maintenance Technician Resume
Operations And Maintenance Technician Resume
Operations And Maintenance Technician Resume
Operations And Maintenance Technician Resume
Operations And Maintenance Technician Resume
Operations And Maintenance Technician Resume
Operations And Maintenance Technician Resume
Operations And Maintenance Technician Resume

Compare different operations and maintenance technicians

Operations and maintenance technician vs. Maintenance engineer

A maintenance engineer is responsible for the maintenance of industrial machinery and inspects equipment defects for immediate troubleshooting or replacement as needed. Maintenance engineers install and upgrade system components to improve system optimization and perform diagnostic systems to locate any adjustments. They also conduct routine checks, assist clients with technical faults, and ensure that the equipment works safely for certain operations. A maintenance engineer must have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry to address technical malfunctions immediately.

If we compare the average operations and maintenance technician annual salary with that of a maintenance engineer, we find that maintenance engineers typically earn a $6,547 lower salary than operations and maintenance technicians make annually.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both operations and maintenance technician and maintenance engineer positions are skilled in hand tools, hvac, and plumbing.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an operations and maintenance technician are more likely to require skills like "preventative maintenance," "safety procedures," "plant operations," and "windows." On the other hand, a job as a maintenance engineer requires skills like "guest rooms," "boilers," "kitchen equipment," and "customer service." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

On average, maintenance engineers reach similar levels of education than operations and maintenance technicians. Maintenance engineers are 3.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Operations and maintenance technician vs. Maintenance helper

A maintenance helper performs basic support tasks to assist maintenance technicians in installing and repairing machines and equipment. Their responsibilities typically include gathering and handing tools, changing fixtures such as light bulbs and faucets, preparing workspaces, and cleaning work areas and equipment. They may also liaise with vendors or suppliers, build positive relationships with clients, and handle calls and correspondence. Moreover, maintenance helper must utilize their experiences to learn more complex tasks and gain industry insight.

Maintenance helper positions earn lower pay than operations and maintenance technician roles. They earn a $22,856 lower salary than operations and maintenance technicians per year.A few skills overlap for operations and maintenance technicians and maintenance helpers. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "hand tools," "hvac," and "plumbing. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, operations and maintenance technician responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "preventative maintenance," "plc," "plant operations," and "plant equipment." Meanwhile, a maintenance helper has duties that require skills in areas such as "preventive maintenance," "grounds maintenance," "a/c," and "basic math." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Maintenance helpers may earn a lower salary than operations and maintenance technicians, but maintenance helpers earn the most pay in the energy industry with an average salary of $37,360. On the other hand, operations and maintenance technicians receive higher pay in the energy industry, where they earn an average salary of $60,926.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Maintenance helpers tend to reach similar levels of education than operations and maintenance technicians. In fact, they're 1.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Operations and maintenance technician vs. Maintenance worker

Maintenance workers are employees assigned to oversee the equipment, furniture, and fixtures in the office. They ensure that these items work correctly by doing routine check-ups, identifying any problems, anticipating challenges, sourcing for spare parts, and repairing problems. They also ensure that all the equipment, furniture, and fixtures are clean and always ready for use. They should be familiar with all the official instructions and procedures to ensure that they can adequately care for these items. They may also handle the installation of any new equipment.

On average scale, maintenance workers bring in lower salaries than operations and maintenance technicians. In fact, they earn a $17,548 lower salary per year.By looking over several operations and maintenance technicians and maintenance workers resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "hand tools," "hvac," and "plumbing." 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, an operations and maintenance technician is likely to be skilled in "preventative maintenance," "plc," "plant operations," and "plant equipment," while a typical maintenance worker is skilled in "customer service," "snow removal," "flower beds," and "asphalt."

Maintenance workers earn the best pay in the manufacturing industry, where they command an average salary of $37,554. Operations and maintenance technicians earn the highest pay from the energy industry, with an average salary of $60,926.maintenance workers typically earn similar educational levels compared to operations and maintenance technicians. Specifically, they're 1.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Operations and maintenance technician vs. Maintenance operator

Maintenance operators are skilled technicians who use a variety of small equipment and tools to perform and assist in the maintenance activities of a business establishment. These operators are required to assist the equipment manager in preparing preventative maintenance procedures so that they can increase productivity and reduce downtime of equipment. They must enforce safety rules and regulations and ensure that staff members are following them to prevent accidents in the facility. Maintenance operators must also train maintenance employees in performing proper preventative maintenance.

Maintenance operators average a lower salary than the annual salary of operations and maintenance technicians. The difference is about $18,260 per year.According to resumes from operations and maintenance technicians and maintenance operators, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "hand tools," "preventative maintenance," and "hvac. "While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "cleanliness," "windows," "cmms," and "mechanical maintenance" are skills that commonly show up on operations and maintenance technician resumes. On the other hand, maintenance operators use skills like cdl, dump truck, dot, and safety rules on their resumes.In general, maintenance operators earn the most working in the energy industry, with an average salary of $41,741. The highest-paying industry for an operations and maintenance technician is the energy industry.maintenance operators reach similar levels of education compared to operations and maintenance technicians, in general. The difference is that they're 0.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of operations and maintenance technician

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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