How To Become A Shift Engineer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a shift engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Complex equipment, like power plant technology, factory equipment, and more usually cannot be left unsupervised. A breakdown could happen at any moment and could completely shut down a business's operations. That is why companies across different sectors hire shift engineers to support the maintenance of important equipment.

Shift engineers often supervise a whole team of dedicated maintenance technicians who repair machines as necessary. The exact nature of the repairs that they have to do depends on where they work, but they can be expected to maintain boilers, HVAC systems, factory machinery and conduct any other necessary repairs. They also need to make sure to follow safety procedures.

As is shown by the name, shift engineers usually work in shifts, but those aren't your usual 9-to-5 office shifts. Shift engineers may have to work early mornings, overnight, and even on weekends in order to maintain equipment. After all, critical repairs don't wait for office hours.

ScoreShift EngineerUS Average

Salary

7.1

Avg. Salary $91,237

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.7

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.46%

Asian 7.63%

Black or African American 10.68%

Hispanic or Latino 17.60%

Unknown 4.54%

White 59.10%

Gender

female 4.46%

male 95.54%

Age - 52

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 - 52

Stress level

7.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.9

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a shift engineer

Explore shift engineer education requirements

Most common shift engineer degrees

Bachelor's

63.9 %

Diploma

9.3 %

High School Diploma

9.3 %

Start to develop specific shift engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
HVAC	12.09%
Preventive Maintenance	10.65%
Plumbing	9.59%
General Maintenance	7.14%
Ladders	5.47%

Complete relevant shift engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New shift engineers 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 shift engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real shift engineer resumes.

Gain additional shift engineer certifications

Shift engineer certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific shift engineer certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for shift engineers include EPA Amusement Operators Safety Certification (EPA) and Engineer In Training Certification (EIT).

More About Certifications

Research shift engineer duties and responsibilities

Manage and sustain manufacturing processes via monitoring, SPC, and data analysis to maintain overall process health and stability.
General maintenance including painting, floor care, grounds maintenance, plumbing, electrical and carpentry skills.
General trades and building repair which include maintenance of boilers and HVAC systems, basic electricity, plumbing and strong carpentry skill
Replace filters, switches, belts; pulls cables.

Prepare your shift engineer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your shift engineer 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 shift engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable shift engineer resume templates

Build a professional shift engineer 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 shift engineer resume.