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What is a senior maintenance technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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A senior maintenance technician keeps equipment and systems functioning properly by solving problems and supervising other technicians. They have expertise in areas including electronics, mechanics, and electrical systems. Their work involves conducting maintenance checks, troubleshooting issues, implementing preventative maintenance, and overseeing repairs. Senior maintenance technicians work in industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, or transportation. The role requires technical knowledge, leadership, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently or as part of a team.

ScoreSenior Maintenance TechnicianUS Average
Salary
4.1

Avg. Salary $51,970

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.6

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.8
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.17%

Asian 4.53%

Black or African American 10.90%

Hispanic or Latino 18.27%

Unknown 4.25%

White 60.88%

Gender

female 3.24%

male 96.76%

Age - 49
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 49
Stress level
7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a senior maintenance technician?

Pros

  • High level of job security and stability

  • Opportunities for advancement within the field

  • Good salary and benefits package

  • Possibility of overtime pay or bonuses

  • Potential for flexible work hours or even remote work

Cons

  • Exposure to hazardous materials or chemicals

  • Possibility of working long or irregular hours, including nights and weekends

  • Potential for injuries or accidents while working with machinery or equipment

  • High pressure to maintain equipment uptime

  • Possibility of being called in for emergency repairs outside regular work hours

Senior maintenance technician career paths

Key steps to become a senior maintenance technician

  1. Explore senior maintenance technician education requirements

    Most common senior maintenance technician degrees

    Associate

    41.8 %

    High School Diploma

    20.2 %

    Bachelor's

    19.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific senior maintenance technician skills

    SkillsPercentages
    HVAC7.99%
    Plumbing7.35%
    Customer Service7.02%
    Ladders5.82%
    PLC5.63%
  3. Complete relevant senior maintenance technician training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior maintenance technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior maintenance technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior maintenance technician resumes.
  4. Research senior maintenance technician duties and responsibilities

    • Manage all hazardous materials generate by shop operations and ensure safety requirements are met in accordance to OSHA standards.
    • Upgrade and implement well-defined CMMS to better track preventative and predictive maintenance.
    • Climb vertical ladders, work at heights.
    • Experience with gaffs, safety harness, bucket truck, and ladders.
  5. Get senior maintenance technician experience

    Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a senior maintenance technician. The most common roles before becoming a senior maintenance technician include maintenance technician, maintenance supervisor team lead and field service technician.
  6. Prepare your senior maintenance technician resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior maintenance technician resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior maintenance technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable senior maintenance technician resume templates

    Build a professional senior maintenance technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your senior maintenance technician resume.
    Senior Maintenance Technician Resume
    Senior Maintenance Technician Resume
    Senior Maintenance Technician Resume
    Senior Maintenance Technician Resume
    Senior Maintenance Technician Resume
    Senior Maintenance Technician Resume
    Senior Maintenance Technician Resume
    Senior Maintenance Technician Resume
    Senior Maintenance Technician Resume
  7. Apply for senior maintenance technician jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a senior maintenance technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first senior maintenance technician job

Zippi

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Average senior maintenance technician salary

The average senior maintenance technician salary in the United States is $51,970 per year or $25 per hour. Senior maintenance technician salaries range between $37,000 and $71,000 per year.

Average senior maintenance technician salary
$51,970 Yearly
$24.99 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do senior maintenance technicians rate their job?

-/5

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4 stars

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Senior maintenance technician reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020
Pros

Flexibility

Cons

I have more to offer than n various task. My resume spells out my duties.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020
Cons

Any emergency is tough situation, is likely unknown faulty until you get to the place.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

Challenging, technical, always something new, part of a team.

Cons

The hours, the low pay, high expectations to perform and exceed, expectation to always be on call, low budget for repairs.


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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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