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A maintenance job may be for you if you like working with your hands and making everyone’s lives better. These people work behind the scenes, but the whole world depends on them to keep things running. You may not know the maintenance people at your office or factory, but you certainly know when things go wrong. A broken machine or air conditioning can bring everything to a standstill.
Every business, home, and park needs maintenance employees to make sure things run right and fix them when they don’t. Until someone invents products that never fail and grass that never grows beyond two inches, people need maintenance people. Here’s what you need to know.
If you’re looking for a maintenance job, start your search on ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter is free for job seekers and is one of the highest rated job search sites.
Types Of Maintenance Careers
Internal Highly Skilled Maintenance Jobs
These people work within factories or companies and maintain and repair equipment onsite. They need intensive training to work with specific machinery. Knowledge of mechanical engineering principles is often beneficial for this type of job. Some of these job pay very well, and don’t require a four year degree.
External Highly Skilled Maintenance Jobs
Instead of supporting one company and one set of machinery, these skilled laborers go out and work for clients. This can be anything from home HVAC to manufacturing businesses. In addition to intensive training and skill, they need a wider variety of expertise to tackle projects in different locations.
Medical Maintenance Jobs
Someone has to keep those MRI machines running, and it’s a medical maintenance job. This is also a highly-skilled, technical, usually in-house job, although depending on the skill set, one person may support a variety of hospitals, laboratories, and clinics.
Lawn and Garden Maintenance Jobs
How do grounds some grounds look so beautiful? It’s not mother nature; it’s the people who do the outside maintenance.
Janitorial and Custodial Services
You may have fond memories of your high school custodians, but you probably don’t know all they did. Maintenance, repairs, and on-the-spot problem solving are all parts of this job.
5 of the Best Maintenance Jobs
1. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
Median National Salary: $48,630 per year
Education Required: Postsecondary nondegree award
Number of Jobs: 380,400
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 5% (Slower than average)
Job Duties: HVAC technicians maintain heating and cooling equipment just about everywhere. They need ongoing training as products change to keep their skills.
2. Medical Equipment Repairers
Median National Salary: $49,910 per year
Education Required: Associate’s degree
Number of Jobs: 54,900
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 7% (As fast as average)
Job Duties: These maintenance people work in hospitals and similar environments to repair and maintain complex medical equipment. They may need to work nights and weekends in emergencies.
3. Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
Median National Salary: $46,880 per year
Education Required: Postsecondary nondegree award
Number of Jobs: 703,800
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 0% (Little or no change)
Job Duties: They maintain and repair cars and light trucks. They can also perform inspections and certify vehicles for roadworthiness.
4. Industrial Machinery Mechanics, Machinery Maintenance Workers, and Millwrights
Median National Salary: $59,380 per year
Education Required: High school diploma or equivalent
Number of Jobs: 501,500
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 19% (Much faster than average)
Job Duties: These employees maintain, install, and repair factory equipment.
5. Grounds Maintenance Workers
Median National Salary: $35,460 per year
Education Required: No formal education, but some jobs may require certifications.
Number of Jobs: 1,226,900
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 8% (As fast as average)
Job Duties: These employees work to maintain the grounds of homes, businesses, schools, et cetera. They may need special certifications to work with chemicals or learn about specific plants.
Where To Find Maintenance Jobs
If you want to work for a specific company, their company website is the best place to find their open positions. If you’re available to work in any company, try one of these options. Before you start applying to jobs, you may want to polish your resume. If you need help, consider working with a resume writing service.
ZipRecruiter
ZipRecruiter is one of the top-rated job search sites, making it easy to find maintenance jobs. ZipRecruiter is free for job seekers and you can also upload your resume to ZipRecruiter’s resume database. This allows your resume to be searchable for recruiters and employers who use ZipRecruiter.
Your Local Trade School
Many of these jobs require certifications, and all need training. While you can do some training on the job, some people learn through formal education. Your local trade schools tend to have job listings and partnerships with local businesses. It’s also a place to start if you want to change careers.
Mike Rowe Works
Mike Rowe Works is a foundation that supports the skilled trades. It has an active job board as well as provides scholarships for training.
Frequently Asked Questions
What maintenance job pays the most?
Generally, the jobs that require the most skills pay the most. Look for maintenance jobs in factories or complex diesel engines.
Is industrial maintenance a good career?
Yes! If you like working with your hands, solving problems, and keeping things running smoothly, this may be the career path for you.
How do I become a maintenance engineer?
While you don’t need a specific degree, getting an associate’s degree in mechanical engineering or similar can help you land this job. Check with your local community college to learn more.
What does a groundskeeper do?
Do you like keeping things beautiful? Grounds maintenance people maintain the outside and make something beautiful.
The Bottom Line
One nice thing about maintenance jobs is that they won’t be shipped overseas. As summer heats up, you can guarantee that people will need their air conditioners fixed and serviced and their cars repaired for summer trips. Factories and hospitals will always need things repaired. If you’re ready to start your career in this tremendous field, take a look at ZipRecruiter and get going.