How to hire a predictive maintenance technician

How to hire a predictive maintenance technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step predictive maintenance technician hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The predictive maintenance technician hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

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   Hiring the perfect predictive maintenance technician also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of predictive maintenance technician salaries for various roles:

   Type of Predictive Maintenance Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Predictive Maintenance Technician	General maintenance and repair workers fix and maintain machines, mechanical equipment, and buildings. They paint, repair flooring, and work on plumbing, electrical, and air-conditioning and heating systems.	$19-38
   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... Show more	$13-35
   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... Show more	$11-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Vibration Analysis
   • CMMS
   • PDM
   • Maximo
   • Condition Monitoring
   • Gearboxes
   • Hand Tools
   • Mechanical Equipment
   • Critical Equipment
   • NDT
   • Maintenance Management System
   • Ac Dc
   • Hydraulic Systems
   • Plant Equipment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Utilize various CMMS packages including Maximo, PMC 2000 and MP2.
   • Serve as instructor for Abitibi's CMMS.
   • Develop all PdM routes and determine the scheduling frequencies for the predictive maintenance activities.
   • Maintain equipment cleanliness during all process operations so as not to jeopardize product quality and/or purity.
   • Ensure consistent compliance with GMP standards, and maintain a running inventory of spare parts/orders.
   • Train on chlorine evaporators, nitrogen evaporators and mobile crane operation.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your predictive maintenance technician job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A predictive maintenance technician can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, predictive maintenance technicians' average salary in new mexico is 45% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level predictive maintenance technicians 49% less than senior-level predictive maintenance technicians.
   • Certifications. A predictive maintenance technician with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a predictive maintenance technician's salary.

   Average predictive maintenance technician salary

   $58,114yearly

   $27.94 hourly rate

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   Entry-level predictive maintenance technician salary

   $41,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

4. Writing a predictive maintenance technician job description

   A predictive maintenance technician 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 predictive maintenance technician job description:

   Predictive maintenance technician job description example

   PBNA $30.79 - $39.96
   
   CLICK HERE to view our Maintenance Mechanic Job Preview Video
   
   Pay Rate: $30.79 - $39.96 per hour
   
   Full-time, Night Shift
   
   Position is responsible for repairing and installing advanced production/manufacturing equipment. Inspects equipment for proper functioning and performs preventative maintenance duties per manufacturer's specifications. May mentor and provide support to less experienced mechanics. Diagnosis equipment malfunctions using predictive maintenance and make more complicated repairs or adjustments as needed. Must have own hand tools.
   
   This position requires continuous work near heat, noise, gas, and chemicals. The position requires frequent lifting, climbing, standing, walking, crouching, squatting, bending and kneeling. The position may require weekend and/or holiday work.
   
   PRIMARY ACCOUNTABILITIES:
   
   * Perform preventative and predictive maintenance on more advanced/sophisticated production equipment
   * Perform repairs on more advanced production equipment as needed
   * Perform breakdown analysis
   * Oversee or perform general housekeeping
   * Upgrade production lines with new/upgraded equipment/technology
   * Direct activities of outside contractors working on assigned line
   * Change line for package changeovers
   * Enforce GMP, safety, and audit standards
   * Work independently under limited supervision (self-management)
   * Documentation of work schedule and work tasks completed
   
   BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   * 18 years or older
   * Pass technical assessment addressing job-critical maintenance knowledge areas
   * Experience with basic electrical systems (e.g., starters, fuses, contacts, relays)
   * Experience with electrical systems (installation, frequency drive, troubleshooting)
   * Experience with product manuals (e.g., reading and applying knowledge to make repairs).
   * Experience with schematics (e.g., electrical blueprints with switches, starters, maps, relays).
   * Experience with troubleshooting mechanical breakdowns (pinpointing and fixing breakdowns).
   * Experience with troubleshooting (e.g., diagnostics, problem solving, etc.).
   * Experience with reading mechanical drawings (e.g., hydraulics, pneumatics).
   
   HELPFUL EXPERIENCE:
   
   * Experience with predictive maintenance methods, including vibration analysis, ultrasonic analysis, and thermography
   * Experience with mechanical systems (e.g., gear boxes, chains, sprockets, motors, seals, bearings).
   * Experience with compressors/ammonia systems (e.g., refrigeration systems).
   * Experience with conveyers and airveyors (air cylinders, diverters, sensors, motor/speed controls).
   * Experience with electronics (e.g., level probes, flow meters, drives/VFDs, etc.).
   * Experience with gearing and gear boxes (rebuilds, ordering parts, machining parts).
   * Experience with hydraulic systems (high pressure cylinders, pumps, valves, troubleshooting).
   * Experience with kinematics (e.g., line speed/sprocket size ratios, etc.).
   * Review rating instructions.
   * Experience with packaging/high speed production (e.g., bottling, consumer products, etc.).
   * Experience with PLC (e.g., industrial maintenance, computer control systems, etc.).
   * Experience with pneumatics (solenoids, cylinders, motor brakes, reading, troubleshooting).
   * Experience with pneumatics/air compression (e.g., valves, cylinders, etc.).
   * Experience with preventative maintenance (computerized preventative charts/data).
   * Experience with pumps (e.g., troubleshooting, replacing seals/motors, understanding specs).
   * Experience with SERVO (e.g., intelligent/robotic motors, in-coders, etc.).
   * Experience working in team-based environments (working together with others).
   
   >
   
   All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.
   
   PepsiCo is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Female / Minority / Disability / Protected Veteran / Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity
   
   If you'd like more information about your EEO rights as an applicant under the law, please download the available EEO is the Law & EEO is the Law Supplement documents. View PepsiCo EEO Policy.
   
   Please view our Pay Transparency Statement

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5. Post your job

   To find predictive maintenance technicians for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any predictive maintenance technicians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level predictive maintenance technicians with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit predictive maintenance technicians, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 predictive maintenance technician

   Once you've found the predictive maintenance technician candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new predictive maintenance technician. 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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