Maintenance mechanics play a significant role in maintaining the standard equipment that we use daily. But, ever wonder how much does a maintenance mechanic make? And what’s the average maintenance mechanic salary in the United States?
In this article, we’ll reveal an average maintenance mechanic’s salary figure – collected from the most reliable salary reviewing sources.
Let’s dive right in.
Who is a Maintenance Mechanic?
A maintenance mechanic is responsible for installing and up-keeping machines, electronic appliances, HVAC systems, vehicles, etc. Their role and duties may vary with the worksite.
For example, a building’s maintenance mechanic utilizes his/her skills in plumbing, carpentry, masonry, etc., to keep everything in a building functional and well-kept. That's part of the building maintenance job description. Similarly, an industrial maintenance mechanic tries to fix any equipment, assets, and other machinery to ensure the upkeep of all industrial machinery.
Similarly, a maintenance mechanic’s duty at a vehicle workshop is to repair and maintain vehicles, automobiles, and automotive parts.
Maintenance Mechanic Job Description
A maintenance mechanic’s job may seem to be straightforward and sheerly mechanical.
However, the maintenance mechanic job description entails that they need more than just physical dexterity to perform their routine tasks. They need to be intelligent, intuitive, and agile while performing the following tasks:
1. Preventative maintenance
The first and foremost duty of a maintenance mechanic is to perform corrective and preventive maintenance techniques required for machinery and equipment maintenance.
They may require electricians and field service technicians to chalk out preventative methods and techniques for them to develop preventive maintenance programs.
2. Repairing and Fixing
As the name suggests, a maintenance mechanic's core responsibility is to repair damaged/faulty parts of a machine or an engine.
For that, they need to run diagnostic tests to locate issues, use properly calibrated instruments to fix machine parts, and ensure compliance with safety regulations while conducting maintenance work.
3. Conform to Company Standards
A maintenance mechanic should always comply with the work ethic created by the company. They must maintain a schedule for inspecting, servicing, and testing equipment, log all their work, and timely report to the maintenance supervisor.
What is the Difference Between Maintenance Mechanic and Maintenance Technician?
Semantically speaking, a maintenance mechanic and a maintenance technician seem to have a similar job. However, a subtle difference does lie in their core responsibilities.
For example, a maintenance technician is an expert for a specific piece of machinery, engine part, a process, or a technique. Meaning, if something wrong happens with a piece of machinery, a maintenance technician is highly likely to pin-point the problematic area using their skills.
This also tells us that maintenance technicians have a technical background that helps them be specific with their troubleshooting processes.
On the contrary, a maintenance mechanic is only trained to “fix a problem.” They don’t necessarily have a technical background or even the ability to identify complex issues.
A maintenance mechanic is taught to have a general understanding of all kinds of repair methods. However, they do require a field-specific technician’s assistance in understanding the actual issue.
Since maintenance mechanics don’t have expertise in a specialized area, they can repair all kinds of equipment (if trained accordingly).
Therefore, it’s safe to say that maintenance technicians are specialists, whereas maintenance mechanics are generalists.
Maintenance Mechanic Salary Estimates
According to a BLS report (Bureau Of Labor Statistics), the national average salary of a maintenance mechanic in the United States is $39,080 per year.
However, their average pay varies according to their work routines. For example, a maintenance mechanic working full-time would earn more than the one who works part-time.
Similarly, their experience also matters – an experienced maintenance mechanic would earn a higher annual salary than an entry-level mechanic.
Anyhow, we’ve gathered salary estimates from the most popular job portals used by jobseekers and employers worldwide.
1. Glassdoor
Glassdoor is a modern-day job portal that advertises a job while also displaying salary reports, company reviews, benefits reviews, etc.
As per the most recent report, a maintenance mechanic earns an average base salary of $39,470 per year, with a complete range starting from $27,000 and going up to $57,000 per year.
This report is aggregated using 1,602 salaries submitted anonymously by the actual maintenance mechanics working at different organizations.
Job seekers can also apply location and company-based filters to find a perfect opportunity – if not, they can also analyze a company’s offer and negotiate for suitable pay packages.
2. Indeed
Indeed is an American employment website that aggregates job listings from a wide range of websites, including job portals, career pages, associations, etc.
According to the website, a maintenance mechanic works on an hourly wage of $23, making the average base salary $50,352 per year.
The data displayed by the website is more comprehensive and refined as compared to Glassdoor.
It also displays additional compensation/benefits like overtime amount ($8,250/year), parental leave, paid time off, dental insurance, and more.
Indeed also shows a list of top companies that provide the most high-paying jobs to maintenance mechanics.
Lastly, it uses curated data to display the highest paying cities in the United States, which are:
- Washington, DC
- Sacramento
- Chicago
- New York
- Houston, Texas
- Phoenix, Arizona
You can also set job alerts to get notified for the jobs based on your required salary, location, or company.
3. PayScale
PayScale is another top-tier salary review website that displays precise compensation data, typical benefits, cost of living estimates, etc., for a job title.
According to PayScale, an average maintenance mechanic's hourly rate is $21.41, constituting their annual average pay to be $49,061.
PayScale also gauges salary estimates based on an employee’s years of experience and location. As per PayScale’s report, maintenance mechanics residing in Chicago, Illinois, earn an average of 13% more than the national average.
Similarly, employees working in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Los Angeles, California, also earn higher than the average salaries offered in other cities.
What Does it Take to Become a Maintenance Mechanic?
Anyone with a high school diploma or a vocational school certificate can become a maintenance mechanic. Having a degree in mechanical or electrical engineering is a plus point.
Other than that, they need to have a strong manufacturing and mechanical experience, physical strength, a great understanding of pneumatic and hydraulic systems, and familiarity with various power and hand tools.
Ending Note
There are several job opportunities for general, automotive, and industrial maintenance mechanics all over the US.
If you’re seeking a job that offers a complete market-competitive compensation package, create your portfolio on employment sites and let the employers seek you out.
Furthermore, always keep an eye out for the national average salary figures for your role to negotiate a better pay package.
Josh is a partner at Maintenance Manager HQ.
