How to hire a plant maintenance supervisor

How to hire a plant maintenance supervisor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step plant maintenance supervisor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a plant maintenance supervisor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new plant maintenance supervisor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a plant maintenance supervisor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your plant maintenance supervisor job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a plant maintenance supervisor for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a plant maintenance supervisor to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a plant maintenance supervisor that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of plant maintenance supervisors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Plant Maintenance Supervisor	Description	Hourly rate
   Plant Maintenance Supervisor		$14-36
   Lead Mechanic	A lead mechanic coordinates the teams of mechanics and ensures the timely completion of repairs. Lead mechanics supervise their subordinates, order mechanical parts, and inspect their work making sure that the standards are met... Show more	$19-35
   Technical Supervisor	A technical supervisor is a leader who offers hands-on leadership for the staff members. Technical supervisors oversee employee performance in a certain department of the organization... Show more	$30-60

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Safety Procedures
   • Production Lines
   • USDA
   • Plant Equipment
   • Plumbing
   • OSHA
   • Equipment Maintenance
   • Plant Operations
   • Asphalt
   • Mechanical Equipment
   • Safety Regulations
   • Air Compressors
   • HVAC
   • Ladders

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Maintain OEE on all equipment to achieve run performance goals and to produce 500MM pounds of finish product a year.
   • Supervise electricians, HVAC mechanics and plumbers.
   • Implement CMMS MP2 and supervise Sawgrass site maintain and update.
   • Make logic changes in PLC's as needed to support production.
   • Waste water controls, Allen Bradley, PLC and starch recovery.
   • Use of various environment controls- HVAC, fire protection apparatus and controls.

   More plant maintenance supervisor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your plant maintenance supervisor job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A plant maintenance supervisor salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, plant maintenance supervisors' average salary in south carolina is 55% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level plant maintenance supervisors earn 61% less than senior-level plant maintenance supervisors.
   • Certifications. A plant maintenance supervisor with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a plant maintenance supervisor's salary.

   Average plant maintenance supervisor salary

   $48,355yearly

   $23.25 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level plant maintenance supervisor salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average plant maintenance supervisor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$78,282	$38
   2	New York	$70,321	$34
   3	Massachusetts	$55,898	$27
   4	Maryland	$55,187	$27
   5	Nevada	$51,493	$25
   6	Virginia	$50,582	$24
   7	Ohio	$47,282	$23
   8	Arizona	$45,832	$22
   9	Illinois	$45,672	$22
   10	Georgia	$44,586	$21
   11	Iowa	$42,068	$20
   12	Kansas	$41,485	$20
   13	Missouri	$41,268	$20
   14	Texas	$40,811	$20
   15	Indiana	$39,422	$19
   16	South Dakota	$38,765	$19
   17	North Carolina	$37,972	$18
   18	Kentucky	$35,897	$17

   Average plant maintenance supervisor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Altice USA	$87,575	$42.10	6
   2	Tesla	$86,040	$41.37	35
   3	Mission Regional Medical Center	$83,604	$40.19	27
   4	Abbott	$78,799	$37.88	18
   5	Foley Products	$76,539	$36.80	1
   6	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	$74,193	$35.67
   7	H-E-B	$73,115	$35.15	5
   8	Dairy Farmers of America	$72,170	$34.70	146
   9	Dana Incorporated	$71,590	$34.42	5
   10	Prairie Farms Dairy	$70,252	$33.77	5
   11	Conner Industries	$68,012	$32.70	4
   12	Prime Healthcare	$66,127	$31.79	27
   13	AmeriPride Services	$64,855	$31.18
   14	Nucor	$62,241	$29.92	26
   15	Rogers Group	$61,424	$29.53	11
   16	Oldcastle Infrastructure	$60,749	$29.21	361
   17	Sonoco	$60,393	$29.04	37
   18	Martin Marietta	$60,273	$28.98	26
   19	Lehigh Hanson	$57,334	$27.56
   20	Land O'Lakes	$56,863	$27.34	25

4. Writing a plant maintenance supervisor job description

   A plant maintenance supervisor job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a plant maintenance supervisor job description:

   Plant maintenance supervisor job description example

   Jackson, TN - Plant Engineer
   Reporting to the Plant Manager, the Plant Engineer is responsible for leading the maintenance process, coordinating facility maintenance and capital at Sonoco's Jackson, TN location. The Jackson Sonoco plant manufactures Rigid Paper Containers utilized in food packaging and grease cartridges. Direct reports include a Maintenance Planner, Purchaser, and a Maintenance Supervisor who manages the hourly maintenance technicians. The plant operates a 24x7 and only shuts down occasionally for Holidays.
   What you will be doing:
   Ensure the safety of all employees by leading a comprehensive Sonoco safety process to prevent injuries. Lead plant compliance of all federal, state and local environmental and safety regulations.Effectively implement/maintain a reliability-centered maintenance process that drives machine uptime, improves OEE and lower operations costs by championing the Sonoco Maintenance Excellence process.Provide department leadership to ensure the highest standards of plant condition and equipment performance are achieved and sustained.Ensure maintenance department personnel possess the appropriate skills and are qualified and proficient. Identify and support technical training and development for department employees.Scope and execute capital projects, participate in annual plant budgeting, manage department spend. Identify technical improvements to equipment/processes.Apply reliability tools to determine the root cause of critical equipment failures and downtime. Identify the appropriate countermeasures and solutions to improve equipment reliability and prevent recurrence.Perform as a key member of the plant leadership team - positive communicator and problem solver - driving for plant/process improvements, meeting objectives and setting the bar for performance standards.Support pillar continuous improvement activities.
   
   Skills/Knowledge/Abilities:
   Strong understanding of OSHA requirements related to equipment in-house. Ability to identify gaps and assist in implementing countermeasures to achieve Zero Safety Incidents.Ability to lead and develop a highly collaborative and effective team. Excellent organization, project management and communication skills Proficient in Root Cause Analysis techniques (FMEA's, 5Why's, ATS, etc.) and developing/implementing Countermeasures to drive Zero Breakdown culture.Process-oriented. Can identify gaps in any process and implement solutions.Basic mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, instrumentation, lubrication and predictive maintenance understanding Ability to manage costs and reduce/optimize where needed Proficient in Microsoft Office and CMMS experience
   
   Job Specifications:
   You have 3-5+ years of successful experience leading a plant maintenance department in an industrial manufacturing environment.Have a bachelor's degree in industrial maintenance, Engineering, or a related filed or applicable experience.TPM or Reliability field experience preferred
   
   We are an equal opportunity employer, and we strictly prohibit and do not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any legally protected characteristic.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right plant maintenance supervisor for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with plant maintenance supervisors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit plant maintenance supervisors who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your plant maintenance supervisor job on Zippia to find and recruit plant maintenance supervisor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with plant maintenance supervisor candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new plant maintenance supervisor

   Once you've selected the best plant maintenance supervisor candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new plant maintenance supervisor. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a plant maintenance supervisor?