what is a maintenance worker?
As a maintenance worker, you perform routine maintenance tasks and handle repairs to ensure various aspects of a workplace area run optimally. You inspect the machinery, equipment, and facilities to identify faults and parts that need replacement. As a maintenance worker, you can be a technician, electrician or part of a cleaning team, but your tasks focus on upkeep and repairs.
Maintenance workers perform a variety of tasks for different organizations. For instance, in factories or manufacturing plants, you maintain production equipment and ensure minimal downtimes. That means you require specialist knowledge to accomplish your tasks. In some industries, you work as a general service representative. For instance, in residential buildings, you perform routine maintenance, like checking for electrical faults and handling plumbing issues. In a grounds maintenance worker role, you trim trees and do landscaping work for gardens.
As a maintenance worker, you leverage your technical skills and knowledge in equipment, machinery and tools. You rely on your technical expertise to repair and resolve machine-related issues. Being detail-oriented is also a valuable skill, as it helps you find vehicle faults and determine workable solutions. Since you frequently work with a team of maintenance workers, you need good teamwork and communication skills in order to collaborate well with others and resolve the issues in the equipment promptly.
Would working as a maintenance worker suit your manual dexterity? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a maintenance worker role.
maintenance worker jobsaverage maintenance worker salary
According to Job Bank, the average salary of a maintenance worker in Canada is $41,816 per year. In an entry-level position, you start with a salary of $34,031 annually. With experience, you will likely earn a higher salary due to the expertise you offer. When you perform complex duties, you earn over $57,746 per year.
how to increase your salary as a maintenance worker
Your earnings as a maintenance worker depend on your experience. While the role requires minimal qualifications, completing the requisite apprenticeship program improves your earning potential. For instance, having plumbing certifications or heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) maintenance qualifications allows you to perform additional maintenance work in buildings.
Your area of specialization also influences your earnings. When you work as a building maintenance worker, you are likely to earn less than a factory maintenance worker. That's because factory maintenance workers have complex duties that may require additional certification.
The size of the company you work for also determines your earnings. You will likely earn a higher salary when working for a large company. Small businesses have limited resources, and you usually handle minor maintenance tasks. Hence, your earnings are lower compared to large organizations with complex projects and unlimited resources.
types of maintenance workers
As a maintenance worker, you can specialize in maintenance tasks in different industries. Some of the areas you are likely to work in include:
- Building maintenance worker: you handle routine maintenance work in buildings. For instance, you adjust window fasteners or door closers and fasten furniture and fixtures to walls or floors. You also perform roof maintenance tasks and replace damaged parts. Other duties include routine plumbing tasks, such as cleaning clogged toilets or making adjustments to showerheads and toilets.
- Factory maintenance worker: as a factory maintenance worker, you clean the equipment and machinery used for the manufacturing process. You also work with maintenance technicians to perform routine checks on equipment. Some of your duties may include replacing filters or traps and repairing parts with wear and tear. You also clean equipment and test machines to ensure they're ready for production.
- Grounds maintenance worker: as a grounds maintenance worker, you work in public parks or private properties with large outdoor spaces. Your job is to keep the outdoor spaces clean and functional. That means you remove debris and maintain the lawn or swimming pool.
- Vehicle maintenance worker: as a vehicle maintenance worker, you use your knowledge of vehicles to run routine maintenance and resolve any issues in the vehicles. You check the oil and battery levels, change the wheels, and perform minor repairs or clean the vehicles.
working as a maintenance worker
Working as a maintenance worker is an interesting career with great growth opportunities. If you are interested in the role, check out the duties and work environments of maintenance workers.
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what does a maintenance worker do?
Some of the duties and responsibilities of maintenance workers include:
- Inspecting machinery and infrastructure systems: as a maintenance worker, you inspect the equipment or machinery used in production. For instance, you ensure the equipment is clean and ready for use. If you identify any issues, you perform the repairs and determine if the machine is fit for use.
- Undertaking routine maintenance: whether you work as a building or equipment maintenance worker, you perform routine maintenance tasks. Your employers expect you to check the performance of commonly used infrastructure in buildings, including stairs, elevators and floors. With routine maintenance, you can identify issues and plan for repairs before the issues escalate.
- Performing small repairs: as a maintenance worker, you have minimal knowledge of how equipment or infrastructure systems work. Hence, you only perform small repairs on faulty door locks, jammed windows or leaking taps. Complex plumbing tasks and electrical faults may require a plumber or an electrician.
- Maintaining safety equipment: as a maintenance worker, you ensure the building's safety equipment is in good working condition. You assess the safety of fire extinguishers and ensure the smoke alarms are in good working condition. You also ensure all safety rules are adhered to by residents to avoid issues during emergencies.
- Landscaping work: as a maintenance worker, you maintain lawns in residences and outdoor spaces. That includes cutting grass, trimming hedges and keeping the lawns clean. You may also work on the garden and swimming pool to ensure they remain clean.
- Scheduling repairs: as a maintenance worker, you schedule routine maintenance tasks and repairs to ensure you don’t miss important checks in a facility. You also analyze problems, faults, and areas of concern to solve maintenance issues.
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work environment of a maintenance worker
Maintenance workers work in diverse environments depending on the industry. For instance, in building maintenance, you perform maintenance tasks indoors and outdoors. In factories, you spend your day indoors working within a climate-controlled environment. The nature of your role involves working in uncomfortable environments or cramped positions. You may work on ladders when repairing roofs. As a maintenance worker, you also stand for long periods and lift heavy objects when performing your duties. Depending on the nature of your tasks, you may be expected to wear protective equipment to minimize injuries.
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who are your colleagues?
Depending on the industry you work in, you are likely to work alongside maintenance technicians, HVAC technicians and electricians. In the production environment, you collaborate with production workers and production supervisors. You may also assist industrial electricians and industrial engineers in carrying out repair tasks.
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maintenance worker work schedule
The typical work schedule of a maintenance worker revolves around traditional office hours. When you work in building maintenance on a full-time schedule, you perform most of your maintenance tasks during the day. When you work part-time, you are only on-call for emergency repairs and perform routine maintenance a few hours a week. In a production facility, you work on a shift schedule to reduce equipment downtimes.
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career opportunities as a maintenance worker
A maintenance worker role is an entry-level position in a maintenance career. You can improve your skills and become a maintenance technician. Alternatively, specialize in apartment building maintenance and gain the necessary certifications to become a plumber or electrician. Apartment building maintenance workers have great career prospects, as job openings are expected to increase to 88,300 between 2022 and 2031, with only 78,900 new job seekers available to fill the roles.
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advantages of finding a job as a maintenance worker through randstad
Working with Randstad offers you a range of benefits.
- Always a contact person you can fall back on and ask for help from
- Many training opportunities
- A range of jobs in your area
maintenance worker skills and education
Some of the requirements for becoming a maintenance worker:
- Apprenticeship program: the minimum requirement for working as a maintenance worker in Canada is completing secondary school education. However, you may need an apprenticeship program to work in specialized roles. You can find equipment maintenance, appliance repair and building maintenance apprenticeship programs.
- Certification and work experience: you require extensive experience in maintenance to excel in your role. You should also consider getting journeyperson certification in relevant trades, such as a Building Operator Certificate (BOC), which is necessary for building maintenance workers. While maintenance work is not a regulated profession, some specializations require licensing. For instance, in British Columbia, residential building maintenance workers are regulated by SkilledTradesBC.
competencies and characteristics of maintenance workers
If you want to excel as a maintenance worker, consider refining the following skills:
- Attention to detail: as a maintenance worker, you require detail-oriented skills to identify minor issues in equipment or buildings. With your attentiveness to details, you are less likely to make mistakes during repairs.
- Interpersonal skills: as a maintenance worker, you rely on strong interpersonal skills to work in a team. Having good collaboration skills helps you work well with others.
- Maintenance skills: as a maintenance worker, you examine, fix, and identify problems in buildings and machinery. Your maintenance skills are useful for completing repair work.
FAQs
Here, you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the profession of a maintenance worker.
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what are the main responsibilities of a maintenance worker?
As a maintenance worker, you perform maintenance tasks in a building. You inspect the building or factory equipment and check for faults or defects. You handle the necessary repairs and ensure the equipment complies with the company's safety regulations.
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how much do maintenance workers make in Canada?
As a maintenance worker, you earn an average salary of $41,816 per year. When you are new to the role, you start with a salary of $34,031 annually. When you gain experience, you earn over $57,746 per year.
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what skills do you need to be a maintenance assistant?
As a maintenance worker, you require proven practical skills in various maintenance tasks, including carpentry, decorating and plumbing. Your knowledge of using hand tools also comes in handy.
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what do you need to become a maintenance worker?
You learn most of the maintenance tasks on the job. However, you can improve your job prospects by completing an apprenticeship program in a relevant maintenance course. To work in building maintenance, you must obtain a Building Operator Certificate.
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what is required from a maintenance worker?
As a maintenance worker, you ensure a safe working environment. Thus, maintenance workers require proper planning to ensure their tasks are completed on time. Employers also expect you to have strong interpersonal and collaboration skills to work in a team.
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how do I find a job as a maintenance worker?
Finding a job near you as a maintenance worker is easy. Search our job offers. Have you found what you're looking for? Then submit your application using the ‘Apply’ button top right on the page. No jobs available right now? Send us your resume and we'll pass it on to a recruiter who will contact you if an opportunity opens up for you.
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