Maintenance Worker job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 3 of 5

medium preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$60,850

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Maintenance Workers, Machinery (O*NET-SOC 49-9043.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Dismantle machines and remove parts for repair, using hand tools, chain falls, jacks, cranes, or hoists. importance 4.1 of 5
2. Reassemble machines after the completion of repair or maintenance work. importance 4.1 of 5
3. Record production, repair, and machine maintenance information. importance 4.1 of 5
4. Lubricate or apply adhesives or other materials to machines, machine parts, or other equipment according to specified procedures. importance 4.0 of 5
5. Install, replace, or change machine parts and attachments, according to production specifications. importance 4.0 of 5
6. Set up and operate machines, and adjust controls to regulate operations. importance 4.0 of 5
7. Collaborate with other workers to repair or move machines, machine parts, or equipment. importance 4.0 of 5
8. Read work orders and specifications to determine machines and equipment requiring repair or maintenance. importance 4.0 of 5
9. Inspect or test damaged machine parts, and mark defective areas or advise supervisors of repair needs. importance 4.0 of 5
10. Start machines and observe mechanical operation to determine efficiency and to detect problems. importance 3.9 of 5
11. Transport machine parts, tools, equipment, and other material between work areas and storage, using cranes, hoists, or dollies. importance 3.8 of 5
12. Collect and discard worn machine parts and other refuse to maintain machinery and work areas. importance 3.8 of 5
13. Inventory and requisition machine parts, equipment, and other supplies so that stock can be maintained and replenished. importance 3.8 of 5
14. Remove hardened material from machines or machine parts, using abrasives, power and hand tools, jackhammers, sledgehammers, or other equipment. importance 3.8 of 5
15. Replace, empty, or replenish machine and equipment containers such as gas tanks or boxes. importance 3.6 of 5
16. Clean machines and machine parts, using cleaning solvents, cloths, air guns, hoses, vacuums, or other equipment. importance 3.6 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Controlling Machines and Processes, Getting Information and Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Measure, mix, prepare, and test chemical solutions used to clean or repair machinery and equipment.

Knowledge areas: Mechanical, Production and Processing, Administration and Management, English Language and Design.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, SAP software. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists long-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 3 of 5 (medium preparation). Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

Most maintenance workers surveyed by O*NET (54%) name a post-secondary certificate as the education the job requires.

Job title: Maintenance Worker
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Maintenance Worker to lubricate machinery, change parts, or perform other routine machinery maintenance.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Dismantle machines and remove parts for repair, using hand tools, chain falls, jacks, cranes, or hoists.
- Reassemble machines after the completion of repair or maintenance work.
- Record production, repair, and machine maintenance information.
- Lubricate or apply adhesives or other materials to machines, machine parts, or other equipment according to specified procedures.
- Install, replace, or change machine parts and attachments, according to production specifications.
- Set up and operate machines, and adjust controls to regulate operations.
- Collaborate with other workers to repair or move machines, machine parts, or equipment.
- Read work orders and specifications to determine machines and equipment requiring repair or maintenance.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in operations monitoring, equipment maintenance and troubleshooting
- Working knowledge of Mechanical and Production and Processing
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $60,850 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $29.25. BLS estimates about 60,020 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of maintenance workers to decline 1.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,400 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real maintenance worker posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Dismantle machines and remove parts for repair, using hand tools…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only maintenance worker work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (operations monitoring and equipment maintenance); maintenance worker interview questions turns them into practice questions.