The average maintenance electrician in the United States is fairly compensated for their job functions (at least when compared to related roles). In order to what variables determines the average maintenance electrician salary, it’s important to have a look at what the job entails.
In this article, we’ll clarify who a maintenance electrician is, their typical job duties and responsibilities, and ultimately their average salary estimates according to reliable resources.
Let’s get started.
Who is a Maintenance Electrician?
Maintenance electricians are shift workers who are responsible for the maintenance of the electrical systems of both commercial and residential properties. Their area of expertise on the job is routinely diagnosing issues in electrical systems and finding solutions to repair them with power and hand tools, under the management of the maintenance manager.
Maintenance electricians are often confused with electrical maintenance technicians. Both job titles differ in their level of education, and their areas of responsibility related to electrical systems.
Maintenance electricians have a high school diploma and their area of focus is installing, diagnosing, and repairing electrical equipment – basically routine maintenance.
On the other hand, electrical maintenance technicians have at least an associate’s degree and their focus is more specific and advanced.
Furthermore, maintenance electricians career can be divided into 3 levels depending upon their training, education, and level of experience:
- Apprentice Electricians – these are entry-level, in-training electricians with a high school diploma, but no state license.
- Journeyman Electricians – they have completed an apprenticeship program, have the state license, but not ample experience to work without supervision.
- Master Electricians – these are the ones who have complete credentials, license, and full autonomy to work without supervision.
Lastly, it is important to remember, technician is not a job title for an electrical technician. It only applies to master-level electricians who work independently.
Typical Duties and Responsibilities of a Maintenance Electrician
Whether a maintenance electrician is working independently, or within an organization in a team, certain duties and responsibilities are clear and relevant to all industries. These include:
- Use diagnostic tools to routinely inspect and test all electrical machinery and equipment for downtime, malfunctions, and repairs.
- Document the analysis of routine inspections and their troubleshooting in a logbook.
- Identify emergency electrical malfunctions and use hand/power tools to repair the problem.
- Create and adhere to a preventative maintenance program for all equipment and machinery to avoid electrical malfunctions.
- Carefully install electrical wirings and repair them when necessary.
Apart from the above, any additional tasks assigned to maintenance electricians depend upon the type of industry they work in.
What is the Average Maintenance Electrician Salary in the United States?
According to the latest data from the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average maintenance electrician makes around $56,180 USD per year in the United States.
As far as maintenance electrician salary averages go, reports from BLS database suggest that the top industries/sectors include government ($62,940), manufacturing ($60,000), electrical ($54,630), and employment services ($49,140).
However, fluctuations in maintenance electricians pay vary depending upon their state licensing status. If a maintenance electrician is currently an apprentice electrician (without a state license and in training) their yearly wage would be less than a licensed maintenance electrician.
Having said that, based on anonymous individual salary reports, are a few reliable third-party sources to give you an idea of how much a maintenance electrician earns in the United States:
1. Glassdoor
Glassdoor is a reliable source for salary estimates and reviews sought by employers, employees, and job seekers. You can find accurate annual pay reports including variables such as benefits information, cost of living, total compensation, etc.
According to Glassdoor, the national average base salary for maintenance electricians is $47,033. The average salary range is between $32,000 and $68,000. This salary estimate is based on a total of 5,293 salary reports by employees across the US.
Furthermore, Glassdoor has a lot more to offer with its specific filters. You can set up job alerts, find related jobs with every search, and make your searches refined by including your industry, size of the company, and years of experience.
2. Indeed
Indeed is another major source for accurate salary estimates.
According to the salary reports on Indeed, the annual average salary for a maintenance electrician in the United States is $52,089. Since the nature of their job might necessitate overtime work, on average they can get approximately $9,400 through additional cash compensation in a span of a year.
Furthermore, the platform reports that the most common benefits offered to maintenance electricians are flexible spending accounts, employee assistance programs, and AD&D (Accidental Death And Dismemberment) insurance, among others.
3. PayScale
Next on the list is PayScale. It is another dedicated website where you can get the basics, including average hourly and annual salary estimates, compensations, and benefits, along with other valuable information on things like job satisfaction, popular employers, pay by years of experience, pay-difference by location, etc.
According to PayScale, the average median salary for maintenance electricians in the United States is $59,333, while the average hourly wage rate is $24.88.
Additionally, the average hourly pay range for maintenance electricians is between $17.65 and $33.55.
Lastly, compared to the national average, PayScale also shows that you can earn the most as a maintenance electrician in Boston, Massachusetts (41.3% more than the national average), Chicago, Illinois (5.1% higher than the national average), and Louisville, Kentucky (3.6% higher than the national average).
On the other hand, the lowest salaries for the maintenance electrician job title are in Dayton, Ohio (6.1% less than the national average), Houston, Texas (5.2% less than the national average), and Atlanta, Georgia (3.6% less than the national average).
Ending Note
Since the job title of a maintenance electrician is a blue-collar job (manual labor and compensation by an hourly rate), the salary estimates vary depending on the nature of work, your licensing status, the state you’re working in, and its cost of living. In some cases, the job title is used interchangeably with the title of a maintenance man.
Having said that, if you’re considering a maintenance electrician job as an employer or an employee, the eligibility criteria are relatively easier – you only need a high school diploma, apprenticeship training, and a state license.
However, like all jobs, it brings its own set of challenges, mainly the physically demanding work, a critical eye to identify problems, coming up with solutions, and a knack for fixing things.
Josh is a partner at Maintenance Manager HQ.
