Whether looking for a career to enter after high school or thinking about a career change, discovering a career that fits you is well worth the search. While a career as an industrial maintenance technician isn’t for everyone, it’s an enriching career for others. If you think the industrial technician career is for you, keep reading to learn more.
What Is An Industrial Maintenance Technician?
Industrial maintenance technicians not only maintain and repair the machinery located in the buildings or on the property but also install machinery the company wants to add or replace. An industrial maintenance technician ensures that all the commercial or industrial machines work correctly by performing preventative maintenance and troubleshooting to determine why a piece of equipment stopped working or behaves erratically. An industrial maintenance technician has a wide range of skills, including welding, reading blueprints, electrical knowledge, and more.
Industrial maintenance technicians must have a mechanical inclination to read and understand manuals and instructions to keep everything running efficiently and smoothly according to specifications and maintenance schedules. The machines they care for range from industrial machinery, factory machinery, or other large pieces of machinery. The industries that an industrial maintenance technician works in can vary too. For example, some industrial maintenance technicians work outdoors while others work indoors, and they can work in factories, manufacturing, construction, and many other places.
Skills Needed To Be An Industrial Maintenance Technician
While industrial technicians will learn many skills they need through their education, there are some skills they need to go along with their education. For example, an industrial maintenance technician needs a physical capability to do the job, good hand/eye coordination, an eye for details, and a mechanical inclination. They must also have good problem-solving skills and be proactive when it comes to inspecting machines and taking corrective measures.
They must also have good time management skills and the ability to communicate what needs to be done with the rest of their team. They must also have an aptitude for math. In addition, industrial maintenance technicians learn skills through their education, including welding, technical math, circuitry, wiring, pneumatics, and many others.
How Much Does An Industrial Maintenance Technician Earn?
As with many professions, the amount that an industrial maintenance technician will earn depends on the company they work for, how much experience they have, the state, and even the location within the state where they work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is a projected growth of 13% over the next ten years.
As for how much an industrial technician earns, the lowest-paid 10% earns somewhat less than $37,260 per year; the highest-paid industrial maintenance technicians earn more than $78,900, while the median annual salary is around $59,380.
If you believe the industrial maintenance technician career path is right for you, then now is the time to take the next step toward your new career. Universal Technical Institute has the industrial maintenance education program you need to train for your new career. It takes as little as nine months at our Houston, Texas campus and seven months at our Canton, Michigan campus. Contact us today to take the next step in becoming an industrial maintenance technician.
