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What does a plant technician do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does a plant technician do

A plant technician is in charge of overseeing plant operations, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Their responsibilities include installing and upgrading machines and equipment, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems, implementing solutions to vulnerable or problem areas, and developing strategies to optimize plant operations. They must also perform regular maintenance checks, conducting corrective measures and adjustments as needed. Furthermore, a plant technician must provide technical support to employees, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

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Plant technician responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real plant technician resumes:

  • Manage documentation on all USDA and HACCP forms.
  • Perform and manage routine building maintenance tasks, including carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and general maintenance.
  • Maintain numerous automate scripts to assist in managing Linux systems.
  • Used spectrophotometers, pH meters, and centrifuges.
  • Experience working with extruders, film manufacturing and processing.
  • Follow all company safety rules and good manufacturing practices (GMP's )
  • Repair power transmission systems (gear reducers, back-stops, blowers).
  • Set up and operate QC water jet in a safe and efficient manner.
  • Work in plumbing, electrical, HVAC repairs, HVAC installations, HVAC maintenance.
  • Maintain boiler, chillers, pumps, motors and HVAC equipment throughout the facility.
  • Administer experiment lifecycles (setup to monitoring) on Bioflo 3000 and Microferm bench top fermenters.
  • Manipulate valves, switches, and buttons, or key commands into control panels to start semiconductor processing cycles.
  • Assist as part of a team in the aggressive implementation of quality control measures to meet ISO 9000 standards.
  • Maintain inventory of raw ingredients, packaging materials and CIP chemicals to promote an efficient and well-organize pilot plant.
  • Operate and maintain centrifuges, microscopes, jumper manifolds, pH probes, DO2 probes, and wave bag technology.

Plant technician skills and personality traits

We calculated that 9% of Plant Technicians are proficient in Preventive Maintenance, Ladders, and Data Collection. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Dexterity, and Troubleshooting skills.

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

  • Preventive Maintenance, 9%

    Develop a reliability based maintenance strategy, based on preventive maintenance.

  • Ladders, 9%

    Climbed poles and ladders; constructed pole, roof mounted, and reinforcements; and mixed concrete to enable equipment installation.

  • Data Collection, 8%

    Streamlined information flow in data collection improving efficiency and control of project information.

  • Electrical Troubleshooting, 7%

    Performed major tractor/trailer repairs, including major structural repair: welding, fabrication of damaged chassis and electrical troubleshooting.

  • Troubleshoot, 6%

    Perform lock/tag out of system and component before maintenance Troubleshoot and diagnosed malfunctioning equipment.

  • Math, 6%

    Operated computerized production machinery requiring math and measurement skills.

"preventive maintenance," "ladders," and "data collection" are among the most common skills that plant technicians use at work. You can find even more plant technician responsibilities below, including:

Customer-service skills. The most essential soft skill for a plant technician to carry out their responsibilities is customer-service skills. This skill is important for the role because "these workers interact with customers on a regular basis." Additionally, a plant technician resume shows how their duties depend on customer-service skills: "transplanted plants, plant care and maintenance, sign making, graphic design, customer assistance"

Dexterity. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling plant 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 a plant technician resume, here's how plant technicians can utilize dexterity in their job responsibilities: "conducted hands-on training in all aspects of plant operations and system repairs. "

Troubleshooting skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of plant technicians is troubleshooting skills. This skill is critical to many everyday plant technician duties, as "workers find, diagnose, and repair problems." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "performed troubleshooting usingelectrical blue prints, plant manuals, sequential events recorders, scada controlsystem and manufacturers documents. "

See the full list of plant technician skills

The three companies that hire the most plant technicians are:

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Compare different plant technicians

Plant technician vs. Operations and maintenance technician

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.

We looked at the average plant technician salary and compared it with the wages of an operations and maintenance technician. Generally speaking, operations and maintenance technicians are paid $7,516 higher than plant technicians per year.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both plant technician and operations and maintenance technician positions are skilled in ladders, electrical troubleshooting, and plant operations.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, plant technician responsibilities require skills like "preventive maintenance," "data collection," "troubleshoot," and "math." Meanwhile a typical operations and maintenance technician has skills in areas such as "preventative maintenance," "plumbing," "maintenance tasks," and "cleanliness." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Operations and maintenance technicians really shine in the energy industry with an average salary of $60,926. Comparatively, plant technicians tend to make the most money in the utilities industry with an average salary of $56,591.On average, operations and maintenance technicians reach similar levels of education than plant technicians. Operations and maintenance technicians are 1.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Plant technician vs. Service and repair technician

Service and repair technicians install, maintains, or repair equipment and often travel to customer's location to provide service and maintenance. They are also known as field service technicians who have technical knowledge and skills to be able to install and conduct product testing or demo to properly instruct customers on the proper usage of the product. Also, they provide preventive maintenance procedures to prevent damage to the equipment, diagnose problems and make repairs. The job involves various services depending on the area of experience and expertise.

A career as a service and repair technician brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a plant technician. In fact, service and repair technicians salary is $4,065 lower than the salary of plant technicians per year.A few skills overlap for plant technicians and service and repair technicians. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "electrical troubleshooting," "routine maintenance," and "perform routine maintenance. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, plant technician responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "preventive maintenance," "ladders," "data collection," and "troubleshoot." Meanwhile, a service and repair technician has duties that require skills in areas such as "working independently," "dishwashers," "plumbing," and "stoves." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

On average, service and repair technicians earn a lower salary than plant technicians. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, service and repair technicians earn the most pay in the transportation industry with an average salary of $42,616. Whereas plant technicians have higher pay in the utilities industry, with an average salary of $56,591.In general, service and repair technicians achieve similar levels of education than plant technicians. They're 1.6% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Plant technician 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.

An average equipment maintenance technician eans a lower salary compared to the average salary of plant technicians. The difference in salaries amounts to equipment maintenance technicians earning a $219 lower average salary than plant technicians.By looking over several plant technicians and equipment maintenance technicians resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "preventive maintenance," "electrical troubleshooting," and "routine maintenance." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, plant technicians are more likely to have skills like "ladders," "data collection," "troubleshoot," and "math." But a equipment maintenance technician is more likely to have skills like "equipment maintenance," "maintenance procedures," "ac," and "plumbing."

Equipment maintenance technicians earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $46,565. Plant technicians earn the highest pay from the utilities industry, with an average salary of $56,591.When it comes to education, equipment maintenance technicians tend to earn similar degree levels compared to plant technicians. In fact, they're 1.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Plant technician vs. Electrical maintenance technician

An electrical maintenance technician is primarily in charge of installing and repairing electrical systems. Their responsibilities often revolve around liaising with clients to identify their needs, examining electrical damages or defects on houses or establishments, troubleshooting, and performing fixes and replacements as needed. Aside from providing technical support, an electrical maintenance technician may also train junior technicians and monitor their progress. Furthermore, in a company setting, one must conduct regular maintenance checks on electrical systems to ensure a safe and efficient work environment.

Electrical maintenance technicians tend to earn a higher pay than plant technicians by an average of $13,734 per year.While their salaries may vary, plant technicians and electrical maintenance technicians both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "preventive maintenance," "ladders," and "electrical troubleshooting. "While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "data collection," "troubleshoot," "math," and "plant operations" are skills that commonly show up on plant technician resumes. On the other hand, electrical maintenance technicians use skills like electrical equipment, industrial maintenance, switches, and ac on their resumes.In general, electrical maintenance technicians earn the most working in the hospitality industry, with an average salary of $61,573. The highest-paying industry for a plant technician is the utilities industry.The average resume of electrical maintenance technicians showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to plant technicians. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 1.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.5%.

Types of plant 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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