What Does a Preventive Maintenance Technician Do?

A preventive maintenance technician performs routine facility maintenance to prevent possible mechanical failure. The technicians change worn out machine parts before they can cause mechanical damage. They keep the facility operating. It is their job to conduct quality assessments, maintain inventory, and schedule repairs. Also, they see to it that machines are up and running at all times. They are expected to be equipped with skills in customer service, problem-solving, reading comprehension, business operation, and mechanical aptitude.

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Preventive Maintenance Technician Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real preventive maintenance technician resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

Initiate and implement first preventative maintenance program for CNC, mills and lathes for the maintenance dept.
Control circuit and PLC installation and programming.
Climb poles, ladders and other structures as needed.
Train and knowledgeable of OSHA's rules and regulations.
Insure vehicle are meeting all safety guidelines as set for by ANSI and OSHA.
Assist higher-level heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) mechanics.
Adhere to safe work practices when lifting, climbing ladders, and working in confine spaces.
Work as preventive maintenance technician on CNC Bryant UL2 & LL2 internal grinders, and industrial grinding equipment.
Maintain, repair and correct all building components including plumbing, fire alarm systems, store lighting, fixtures and equipment.
Perform electrical and plumbing duties that involve repairing and monitoring.
Implement a centralize electronic LOTO system which improve compliance and oversight to remote facilities.
Range from changing HVAC filters, am also typically responsible for scheduling regular inspections of electrical equipment and/or elevators.
Provide preventive maintenance such as cleaning and inspection of HVAC equipment to ensure adequate operation for residential and commercial customers.
Work plant and field management, mowing all the county schools' fields.
Maintain baseball and soccer fields including: mowing, grooming, and fertilizing.

Preventive Maintenance Technician Job Description

When it comes to understanding what a preventive maintenance technician does, you may be wondering, "should I become a preventive maintenance technician?" The data included in this section may help you decide. Compared to other jobs, preventive maintenance technicians have a growth rate described as "as fast as average" at 6% between the years 2018 - 2028, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, the number of preventive maintenance technician opportunities that are predicted to open up by 2028 is 85,400.

On average, the preventive maintenance technician annual salary is $40,935 per year, which translates to $19.68 an hour. Generally speaking, preventive maintenance technicians earn anywhere from $31,000 to $52,000 a year, which means that the top-earning preventive maintenance technicians make $23,000 more than the ones at the lower end of the spectrum.

Once you've become a preventive maintenance technician, you may be curious about what other opportunities are out there. Careers aren't one size fits all. For that reason, we discovered some other jobs that you may find appealing. Some jobs you might find interesting include a maintenance engineer, maintenance helper, maintenance operator, and equipment technician.

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5 Preventive Maintenance Technician Resume Examples

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Martha Holmes Preventive Maintenance Technician Contact Information Hickory Hill, KY (590) 555-0814 mholmes@example.com Skills Company Vehicle Formwork Air Hammers Safety Inspections Heavy Machinery Loto Patch Voids General Maintenance Major Repairs Structural Steel Employment History Preventive Maintenance Technician 2017 - Present Pilgrim's Pride Hickory Hill, KY Assemble equipment, and attach pipes, fittings, or valves, using hand tools. Repaired all plant HVAC malfunctions. Designate and prioritize calls of emergency breakdowns in the plant or facility. Repaired, and improved the efficiency of plant equipment. Repair or replace defective equipment parts, using hand tools and power tools, and reassemble equipment. Service Technician / Tire Lube Express Maintenance Services Dispatcher 2015 - 2017 Walmart Bentonville, AR Clean sales floor Minor repair jobs around the store Use of power lifting equipment Use of forklift Use of auto scrubber Worked overnight sweeping and buffing floors of the facility Operated buffers and scrubbers and swing machines Cleaned and maintained the facility Stripped and waxed floors Cleaned meat aisles, storage areas and work areas, following all health and safety guidelines. Prestressed Concrete Labour 2014 - 2015 Pacesetters San Antonio, TX Removed trash, residual building debris and potential hazardous materials from construction sites using extreme precautions. Signaled equipment operators to facilitate alignment, movement and adjustment of machinery, equipment and materials for the safety of employees. General Labor Worker Worked in operations, assembly and general distribution job assignments in various warehouse and assembly type environments. Learned to operate Bob Cat, Fork lift and Crane. Education High School Diploma 2014 - 2014


Ryan Pierce Preventive Maintenance Technician Contact Info Dallas, TX (660) 555-1069 rpierce@example.com Skills General ServiceSafety InspectionsHvacCompany VehicleCommunicationHand ToolsGeneral ConstructionNail GunsConstruction SitesElectrical Systems Employment History Preventive Maintenance Technician 2017 - Present The Coca-Cola Company Dallas, TX Planned and executed tests of new equipment and technologies to ensure products will perform in the Coca-Cola system. Mount compressor, condenser, and other components in specified locations on frames, using hand tools and acetylene welding equipment. Change air & water filters, HVAC service. General Maintenance Technician 2016 - 2017 Walmart Dallas, TX Perform high quality oil and lube services in a timely fashion. Unloaded trucks and stocked the items on the sales floor. Install new wiper blades on customer vehicles. Maintain an orderly and clean facility. Carpentry 2015 - 2016 Clark Construction Group New Orleans, LA Cleaned the work site to ensure safety regulations were met. Use levels, rules, plumb bobs, framing squares, and surveying equipment to ensure everything is level Erected safe scaffolding for structures above ground level Assist in construction of single family and custom homes. Education High School Diploma 2015 - 2015


Ryan Pierce Preventive Maintenance Technician Dallas, TX (660) 555-1069 rpierce@example.com Experience Preventive Maintenance Technician2017 - Present The Coca-Cola Company•Dallas, TX Planned and executed tests of new equipment and technologies to ensure products will perform in the Coca-Cola system. Mount compressor, condenser, and other components in specified locations on frames, using hand tools and acetylene welding equipment. Change air & water filters, HVAC service. General Maintenance Technician2016 - 2017 Walmart•Dallas, TX Perform high quality oil and lube services in a timely fashion. Unloaded trucks and stocked the items on the sales floor. Install new wiper blades on customer vehicles. Maintain an orderly and clean facility. Carpentry2015 - 2016 Clark Construction Group•New Orleans, LA Cleaned the work site to ensure safety regulations were met. Use levels, rules, plumb bobs, framing squares, and surveying equipment to ensure everything is level Erected safe scaffolding for structures above ground level Assist in construction of single family and custom homes. Skills General ServiceSafety InspectionsHvacCompany VehicleCommunicationHand ToolsGeneral ConstructionNail GunsConstruction SitesElectrical Systems Education High School Diploma 2015 - 2015

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Preventive Maintenance Technician Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 18% of Preventive Maintenance Technicians are proficient in Customer Service, Hand Tools, and HVAC. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Dexterity, and Troubleshooting skills.

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

Customer Service, 18%
Utilized customer service skills to communicate with on-site utility representatives to respond day-to-day and on-call emergency excavation requests.
Hand Tools, 8%
Perform minor repairs, reassemble equipment or replace defective parts using hand tools and power tools.
HVAC, 8%
Performed preventive maintenance on restaurant HVAC equipment.
Dishwashers, 6%
Maintained and repaired equipment and machines to include stove, dishwashers and refrigerators.
Plumbing, 5%
Performed electrical and plumbing duties that involved repairing and monitoring.
Water Filters, 4%
Check air and oil levels on machinery, change air conditioning and water filters.

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"customer service," "hand tools," and "hvac" aren't the only skills we found preventive maintenance technicians list on their resumes. In fact, there's a whole list of preventive maintenance technician responsibilities that we found, including:

Customer-service skills can be considered to be the most important personality trait for a preventive maintenance technician to have. According to a preventive maintenance technician resume, "these workers interact with customers on a regular basis" preventive maintenance technicians are able to use customer-service skills in the following example we gathered from a resume: "responded to written and radio work orders from management and front desk staff for maintenance attention needed to guest rooms. "

While it may not be the most important skill, we found that many preventive maintenance technician duties rely on dexterity. This example from a preventive maintenance technician explains why: "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." This resume example is just one of many ways preventive maintenance technicians are able to utilize dexterity: "used hand tools, lifts and computer software when required to perform job tasks. "

Troubleshooting skills is also an important skill for preventive maintenance technicians to have. This example of how preventive maintenance technicians use this skill comes from a preventive maintenance technician resume, "workers find, diagnose, and repair problems" Read this excerpt from a resume to understand how vital it is to their everyday roles and responsibilities, "perform preventative maintenance and service including troubleshooting and repairs on hvac commercial equipment. "

See the full list of preventive maintenance technician skills.

After discovering the most helpful skills, we moved onto what kind of education might be helpful in becoming a preventive maintenance technician. We found that 21.7% of preventive maintenance technicians have graduated with a bachelor's degree and 1.9% of people in this position have earned their master's degrees. While some preventive maintenance technicians have a college degree, you may find it's also true that generally it's possible to be successful in this career with only a high school degree. In fact, our research shows that one out of every two preventive maintenance technicians were not college graduates.

Those preventive maintenance technicians who do attend college, typically earn either automotive technology degrees or business degrees. Less commonly earned degrees for preventive maintenance technicians include electrical engineering degrees or electrical engineering technology degrees.

Once you've obtained the level of education you're comfortable with, you might start applying to companies to become a preventive maintenance technician. We've found that most preventive maintenance technician resumes include experience from U-Haul, Marriott International, and Ryder System. Of recent, U-Haul had 57 positions open for preventive maintenance technicians. Meanwhile, there are 25 job openings at Marriott International and 15 at Ryder System.

If you're interested in companies where preventive maintenance technicians make the most money, you'll want to apply for positions at Kiewit, Pella, and Columbia University in the City of New York. We found that at Kiewit, the average preventive maintenance technician salary is $54,682. Whereas at Pella, preventive maintenance technicians earn roughly $54,044. And at Columbia University in the City of New York, they make an average salary of $53,731.

View more details on preventive maintenance technician salaries across the United States.

Some other companies you might be interested in as a preventive maintenance technician include Us Navy, United States Army Corps of Engineers, and Sears Holdings. These three companies were found to hire the most preventive maintenance technicians from the top 100 U.S. educational institutions.

In general, preventive maintenance technicians fulfill roles in the retail and manufacturing industries. While employment numbers are high in those industries, the preventive maintenance technician annual salary is the highest in the automotive industry with $47,655 as the average salary. Meanwhile, the technology and energy industries pay $47,287 and $46,827 respectively. This means that preventive maintenance technicians who are employed in the automotive industry make 27.4% more than preventive maintenance technicians who work in the hospitality Industry.

The three companies that hire the most prestigious preventive maintenance technicians are:

U-Haul57 Preventive Maintenance Technicians Jobs
Marriott International25 Preventive Maintenance Technicians Jobs
Ryder System15 Preventive Maintenance Technicians Jobs

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What Maintenance Engineers Do

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.

In this section, we take a look at the annual salaries of other professions. Take maintenance engineer for example. On average, the maintenance engineers annual salary is $6,198 higher than what preventive maintenance technicians make on average every year.

While the salaries between these two careers can be different, they do share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both preventive maintenance technicians and maintenance engineers positions are skilled in customer service, hand tools, and hvac.

There are some key differences in responsibilities as well. For example, a preventive maintenance technician responsibilities require skills like "water filters," "routine maintenance," "safety regulations," and "oil changes." Meanwhile a typical maintenance engineer has skills in areas such as "maintenance tasks," "boilers," "cleanliness," and "switches." This difference in skills reveals how truly different these two careers really are.

On average, maintenance engineers reach similar levels of education than preventive maintenance technicians. Maintenance engineers are 4.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

What Are The Duties Of a 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.

Now we're going to look at the maintenance helper profession. On average, maintenance helpers earn a $10,111 lower salary than preventive maintenance technicians a year.

While the salary may be different for these job positions, there is one similarity and that's a few of the skills needed to perform certain duties. We used info from lots of resumes to find that both preventive maintenance technicians and maintenance helpers are known to have skills such as "hand tools," "hvac," and "plumbing. "

But both careers also use different skills, according to real preventive maintenance technician resumes. While preventive maintenance technician responsibilities can utilize skills like "customer service," "dishwashers," "water filters," and "safety regulations," some maintenance helpers use skills like "preventive maintenance," "mowing," "maintenance tasks," and "grounds maintenance."

Maintenance helpers may earn a lower salary than preventive maintenance technicians, but maintenance helpers earn the most pay in the energy industry with an average salary of $37,360. On the other side of things, preventive maintenance technicians receive higher paychecks in the automotive industry where they earn an average of $47,655.

On the topic of education, maintenance helpers earn similar levels of education than preventive maintenance technicians. In general, they're 1.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

How a Maintenance Operator Compares

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.

The maintenance operator profession generally makes a lower amount of money when compared to the average salary of preventive maintenance technicians. The difference in salaries is maintenance operators making $5,515 lower than preventive maintenance technicians.

Using preventive maintenance technicians and maintenance operators resumes, we found that both professions have similar skills such as "hand tools," "hvac," and "plumbing," but the other skills required are very different.

As mentioned, these two careers differ between other skills that are required for performing the work exceedingly well. For example, gathering from preventive maintenance technicians resumes, they are more likely to have skills like "customer service," "dishwashers," "water filters," and "production equipment." But a maintenance operator might have skills like "cdl," "mowing," "safety procedures," and "dump truck."

Interestingly enough, maintenance operators earn the most pay in the energy industry, where they command an average salary of $41,741. As mentioned previously, preventive maintenance technicians highest annual salary comes from the automotive industry with an average salary of $47,655.

Maintenance operators are known to earn similar educational levels when compared to preventive maintenance technicians. Additionally, they're 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Description Of an Equipment Technician

An equipment technician is responsible for handling the operations of company equipment and machinery, inspecting for any malfunctions, and immediately repairing defective components to prevent delays in productivity. Equipment technicians create a report of system failures, referencing documentation to develop consistency with the equipment, and suggest corrective actions. They should also analyze schematics and blueprints for guides on how to maintain the equipment's reliability. An equipment technician must have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry, especially on enhancing equipment's performance and maximizing operational productivity.

Now, we'll look at equipment technicians, who generally average a higher pay when compared to preventive maintenance technicians annual salary. In fact, the difference is about $69 per year.

According to resumes from both preventive maintenance technicians and equipment technicians, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "customer service," "hand tools," and "hvac. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a preventive maintenance technician might have more use for skills like "dishwashers," "water filters," "cnc," and "safety regulations." Meanwhile, some equipment technicians might include skills like "patients," "equipment maintenance," "dexterity," and "maintenance procedures" on their resume.

In general, equipment technicians make a higher salary in the construction industry with an average of $48,024. The highest preventive maintenance technician annual salary stems from the automotive industry.

Equipment technicians reach similar levels of education when compared to preventive maintenance technicians. The difference is that they're 0.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree more, and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Updated October 2, 2020