Manufacturing

Engineering maintenance technician

Engineering maintenance technicians service and repair equipment in industries like manufacturing, production and transport.

Annual Salary

£21,000 to £40,000

Working hours

40 to 42 a week

You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts

2.8%
Future employment

There will be 2.8% more Engineering maintenance technician jobs in 2029.
In your local area

What's it all about?

Day-to-day tasks

As an engineering maintenance technician, you could:

  • organise routine servicing schedules and assign tasks
  • check and maintain instruments and machinery
  • fix breakdown faults and arrange for replacement equipment
  • complete reports and inform production managers of progress
  • do risk assessments and keep stock control records

Working environment

You may need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.

You could work in a factory, on a construction site or at a manufacturing plant.

Your working environment may be noisy and outdoors some of the time.

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
University

You could do a foundation degree or higher national diploma in engineering before applying for a job as a trainee technician.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
For more information
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • student finance for fees and living costs|https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
  • university courses and entry requirements|https://www.ucas.com/
College

You could take a college course, which would teach you some of the skills needed for this job.

Relevant courses include:

  • Level 2 Certificate in Mechanical Engineering
  • Level 2 Certificate in Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology
  • Level 3 Diploma in Equipment Maintenance Engineering
  • Level 3 Diploma in Engineering
  • T Level in Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing
  • T Level in Building Services Engineering for Construction

Entry requirements

You may need:

  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
For more information
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • funding advice|https://www.gov.uk/further-education-courses/financial-help
  • guide to T Levels|https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/
  • search for courses|/find-a-course
Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, such as:

  • Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician
  • Engineering Technician
  • Mechatronics Maintenance Technician

You could also do an intermediate or advanced apprenticeship in a specific industry, like:

  • aviation
  • compressed air and vacuum manufacturing
  • lifting equipment
  • rail

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
For more information
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide
Work

You could start as an engineering craftworker and train on the job to become an engineering maintenance technician.

More information

Further information

You can get more advice about engineering careers through Tomorrow's Engineers and The Institution of Engineering and Technology.

With experience you could:take a Lead Engineering Maintenance Technician Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship to become a senior maintenance technician; do further training to qualify as an engineer in a specific field like mechanical, electrical or building services; move into technical sales, maintenance team management or contract management; become a further education teacher

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

  • the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
  • the ability to work well with your hands
  • problem-solving skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work well with others
  • physical skills like movement, coordination, dexterity and grace
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • the ability to work on your own
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
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