6 free templates by setting: general, apartment, facility, hotel, industrial, and small business, with the salary, FLSA, OSHA lockout/tagout, and EPA 608 certification guidance generic templates skip. Download as DOCX.
Maintenance technician is the single largest skilled-trade role in the country, and one of the most generically templated. The job descriptions online mostly come from large template sites that describe a faceless fixer, and almost none of them address what actually matters to the property manager or small operator writing the posting: which setting the role sits in, how it is classified under the FLSA, and the real safety and certification obligations the work carries.
This page is a hub for that hire. It gives you six templates by setting: general, apartment and property, building and facility, hotel and hospitality, industrial and manufacturing, and a small-business no-HR version. At FirstHR, we build hiring and onboarding tools for small operators like property managers. Each template is ready to use, with the salary, FLSA, OSHA, and EPA realities built in. For the principles behind any posting, the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
TL;DR
A maintenance technician keeps a building, its equipment, and its systems in working condition through preventive maintenance and repairs across trades. The role is non-exempt and hourly, and it carries real compliance: OSHA lockout/tagout safety and, when the work touches refrigerants, EPA Section 608 certification. The core federal occupation reports a median of $48,620 a year (BLS, May 2024). This page has six templates by setting; download all as one DOCX.
What a Maintenance Technician Does
A maintenance technician keeps a building, its equipment, and its systems in safe, working condition by performing preventive maintenance and repairs across several trades. The core work is diagnosing and fixing plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and mechanical problems, responding to work orders, performing scheduled preventive maintenance, and handling general building repairs, often with on-call or emergency response.
The core federal occupation is general maintenance and repair workers (SOC 49-9071), which the BLS defines as performing the skills of two or more trades to keep buildings and equipment in repair. For the employer writing the posting, the role is defined less by a generic bullet list and more by three things templates skip: the setting it sits in, how the FLSA classifies it, and the safety and certification obligations the work carries. The six templates split by setting so the document matches the real hire.
Maintenance Technician Duties and Responsibilities
Maintenance technician duties cluster into four areas: preventive maintenance, repairs across trades, work orders and response, and safety and compliance. A strong job description picks the responsibilities from each area that match the setting rather than listing every possible task. These are the duties grouped the way the templates use them.
Preventive maintenance
Perform scheduled preventive maintenance
Inspect and service building systems
Address small issues before they grow
Repairs across trades
Fix plumbing, electrical, and mechanical issues
Maintain HVAC, lighting, and appliances
Handle general building and structural repairs
Work orders and response
Respond to and complete work orders
Support on-call and emergency repairs
Document completed work and parts used
Safety and compliance
Follow lockout/tagout procedures
Use PPE and follow safe work practices
Maintain required certifications
The emphasis shifts by setting: an apartment role adds make-readies and resident work orders, while an industrial role focuses on machinery and downtime. For a structured way to scope the role, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Still Using Spreadsheets for Onboarding?
Automate documents, training assignments, task management, and track onboarding progress in real time.
Pick the template by setting. The repair-and-upkeep core runs through all six, but each one frames the duties, certifications, and schedule for a specific kind of operation. Use this guide to choose the closest fit, then adjust.
Maintenance Technician (General)
Most settings
The baseline version: preventive maintenance and repairs across plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems. Start here for most sites, then adjust.
Apartment / Property
Multifamily, property management
The property version: resident work orders, unit make-readies, and an on-call rotation, for apartment communities and property managers.
Building / Facility
Offices, schools, facilities
The facility version: preventive maintenance on building systems, HVAC and electrical upkeep, and contractor coordination for an office, school, or facility.
Hotel / Hospitality
Hotels, hospitality
The hospitality version: guest-room and common-area repairs, HVAC and pool systems, and quick, courteous response to guest requests.
Industrial / Manufacturing
Plants, production
The industrial version: preventive and corrective maintenance on production equipment, troubleshooting machinery, and minimizing downtime.
Small Business (No HR)
Owner-operated
A wear-several-hats version for an owner-operated business hiring a versatile technician to handle a wide range of repairs and upkeep.
Match the Template to the Setting
A typical site uses the general Maintenance Technician. An apartment community or property manager uses Apartment / Property. An office, school, or facility uses Building / Facility. A hotel uses Hotel / Hospitality. A plant uses Industrial / Manufacturing. An owner-operated business making a versatile hire uses Small Business. Every version is non-exempt and hourly, and every version carries the safety and certification layer.
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: company and job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, the non-exempt classification, pay, and how to apply, with an EEO statement and the safety and certification layer built in. Fill in the brackets and post.
Download All 6 Job Description Templates
General, apartment, facility, hotel, industrial, and small business. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: Maintenance Technician (General)
The baseline version: preventive maintenance and repairs across plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems, with safety built in. Start here for most sites.
Template 3: Building / Facility Maintenance Technician
The facility version: preventive maintenance on building systems, HVAC and electrical upkeep, and contractor coordination for an office, school, or facility.
Building / Facility Maintenance Technician Job Description
BUILDING / FACILITY MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN JOB DESCRIPTION
We are an owner-operated business hiring a Maintenance Technician to
keep our [property / facility / equipment] in good working order. In a
small operation this is a wear-several-hats role: you handle a wide
range of repairs and upkeep, and keep things running day to day.
JOB SUMMARY
[Company Name] is hiring a Maintenance Technician to handle repairs and
upkeep across our site. You will perform preventive maintenance, fix
plumbing, electrical, and mechanical problems, respond to issues as
they come up, and help keep everything safe and working. This role
suits a reliable, versatile technician who likes variety and ownership.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Handle preventive maintenance and a wide range of repairs
•Fix plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and general building issues
•Respond to maintenance needs as they arise
•Keep equipment and systems safe and working
•Follow safety procedures, including lockout/tagout
•Manage tools, parts, and simple records
•Coordinate outside help for specialized jobs
•Pitch in across the business as a small team
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•General maintenance or skilled-trades experience
•Versatile across plumbing, electrical, and basic repairs
•Reliable, resourceful, and safety-minded
•Able to lift [50] lbs, climb, and use tools
•Valid driver's license if traveling between sites
•Relevant certifications a plus (EPA 608, electrical)
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Pay: $_ per hour [+ benefits]
To apply, email __ or stop by.
We are an equal opportunity employer.
What to Include in a Maintenance Technician Job Description
Every strong maintenance technician job description includes the same core sections. The templates above are built around them, so you can fill in the blanks, but it helps to know what each one is for.
Section
What it covers
Job title and setting
A clear title that signals the setting: apartment, facility, hotel, industrial
Company overview
One or two lines about your operation and the site
Job summary
Two or three sentences on the maintenance-and-repair focus
Key responsibilities
8 to 10 duties across maintenance, repairs, work orders, and safety
Requirements
Trade experience, physical ability, and relevant certifications
Safety and certifications
Lockout/tagout, PPE, EPA 608, electrical or boiler licenses
Classification and pay
Non-exempt and hourly, with an honest pay range
Schedule
Hours and any on-call or emergency expectations
Keep the language neutral and inclusive throughout. The EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on a protected characteristic, and the SHRM guide covers the standard sections of a job description.
FLSA, OSHA Safety, and EPA 608
This is the part generic maintenance templates skip, and it is the part that protects the employer and the worker: the straightforward FLSA classification, the OSHA safety the role demands, and the EPA certification that federal law requires for refrigerant work. Get these right and your posting attracts the right candidates and keeps your site compliant.
FLSA: maintenance technicians are non-exempt and hourly
Classification is straightforward for this role. Maintenance and repair work is manual, blue-collar work, which does not qualify for the white-collar exemptions, so maintenance technicians are non-exempt and entitled to overtime at one and a half times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a week. The Department of Labor is explicit that blue-collar workers in maintenance and similar occupations are entitled to minimum wage and overtime no matter how highly paid they are. Because the role often involves on-call and emergency work, overtime is common, so track hours carefully and account for on-call pay. State the non-exempt, hourly classification in the posting. This is general information, not legal advice.
OSHA lockout/tagout and the safety layer
Maintenance is a safety-critical role, and the posting and onboarding should treat it that way. The OSHA Control of Hazardous Energy standard, lockout/tagout (29 CFR 1910.147), requires procedures to keep machines and equipment from unexpectedly starting up during service or maintenance, and it is one of the most frequently cited OSHA standards. Depending on the work, electrical safety, confined spaces, fall protection, and PPE also apply. Build documented safety training and a lockout/tagout acknowledgment into onboarding rather than treating safety as a single posting line, since maintenance technicians work around hazardous energy regularly. This is general information, not legal advice.
EPA Section 608 and certification tracking
If the technician will handle refrigerants, federal law matters. Under EPA Section 608 of the Clean Air Act, technicians who service, maintain, or repair appliances that could release refrigerants must hold the appropriate certification, Type I, II, III, or Universal, depending on the equipment. This is a common requirement for apartment, hotel, and facility roles with HVAC and refrigeration work. The certification does not expire, but the employer should verify and keep a copy on file. If the role may touch refrigerants, name EPA 608 in the posting and track the credential, alongside any electrical or boiler licenses your jurisdiction requires. This is general information, not legal advice.
Match the title and pay to the setting
Maintenance titles are not standardized, so define the role by the setting and the actual work. A general technician covers multiple trades, an apartment technician adds make-readies and resident work orders, a facility technician focuses on building systems, and an industrial technician troubleshoots production machinery. The core federal occupation, general maintenance and repair workers, reported a median wage of $48,620 a year as of May 2024, with industrial machinery roles running higher. Pick the setting, write the duties and certifications to match, and post an honest hourly range benchmarked to your market. This is general information, not legal advice.
Two Safety Obligations Define the Role
Maintenance work is covered by the OSHA lockout/tagout standard (29 CFR 1910.147), which keeps equipment from unexpectedly starting up during service, and when the work touches refrigerants, the technician must hold EPA Section 608 certification. Build documented safety training and credential tracking into onboarding, not a single posting line.
Maintenance technicians are paid hourly, with pay varying by setting, region, and experience. Set your range using government data as a baseline, then adjust for your local market.
Median $48,620 a Year (BLS)
The core federal occupation, general maintenance and repair workers, had a median wage of $48,620 a year as of the May 2024 data, with the lowest 10 percent under $33,860 and the highest 10 percent over $76,110 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The related industrial machinery mechanic occupation ran higher at a $63,510 median.
Pay tends to run lower for entry-level and apartment roles and higher for facility and industrial roles that require heavier mechanical and troubleshooting skills. Because the role is non-exempt, overtime applies on top of base pay for hours over 40 in a week, which is common given on-call and emergency work, and the highest applicable minimum wage governs. Post a competitive, transparent hourly range benchmarked to your setting and market.
Hiring a Maintenance Technician for a Small Operation
A large property company hires through an HR team. A small property manager, manufacturer, or hotel makes this hire directly, and faces three things the template farms ignore: the owner or manager writes the posting, turnover means hiring it again and again, and the safety and certification obligations are real. Here is how to handle all three.
Property managers and small operators hire this role constantly, and the owner or manager writes the posting
Most maintenance technician templates online come from large template sites and assume an employer with an HR department. The reality is different: maintenance technicians are hired overwhelmingly by property management companies, small manufacturers, hotels, apartment communities, schools, and HOAs, and the owner or a property or facilities manager writes the posting, hires, and onboards, usually with no HR support. The templates above are built for that situation. Pick the setting that matches your operation, fill in the brackets, and post, without translating a generic corporate job description down to your size.
Turnover in this role is severe, so you will hire it again and again
Maintenance is one of the highest-turnover roles in property management, and re-hiring is constant. That makes a repeatable, well-documented hiring and onboarding process worth real money, because every vacancy means unanswered work orders and a scramble to fill the gap. A clear job description that names the setting, the certifications, the safety expectations, and the on-call reality up front attracts technicians who fit and stay, and it becomes the basis for an onboarding process you can run the same way every time you hire, which you will.
Safety and certifications are real obligations that generic templates skip
A maintenance technician works around hazardous energy, refrigerants, and electrical systems, so safety and certification are not optional. Lockout/tagout training, PPE, and documented safe-work procedures belong in onboarding, and if the role touches refrigerants, EPA Section 608 certification is federally required. FirstHR fits this people side of the hire: e-signature for the offer and a lockout/tagout safety acknowledgment, training modules for safety onboarding, document management to store and track EPA 608 and other license expirations, task workflows for the new-hire checklist and tool sign-out, and an onboarding wizard that builds a plan from the job description. The flat monthly price suits a small property or facilities operator better than per-employee tools. To be clear about scope, FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a work-order, CMMS, or payroll system, and it does not run payroll or administer benefits, so pair it with those providers. Applicant tracking is coming soon.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one. Once a candidate accepts, the same document becomes the basis for the offer and onboarding, and because a maintenance technician works around hazardous energy from day one, getting safety handled early matters. The paperwork comes first: the offer in writing with the classification and on-call terms spelled out, the I-9 with documents verified, and the W-4 and state tax forms per the new hire paperwork guide, alongside lockout/tagout and safety training before hands-on work.
Send the offer in writing
Confirm the role, the hourly pay, the on-call expectations, the non-exempt classification, and the start date in a written offer, so a technician knows exactly what they accepted.
Train on safety before day one
Lockout/tagout, electrical safety, PPE, and a signed safety acknowledgment come first, since a maintenance technician works around hazardous energy from the start.
Verify and track certifications
Check EPA Section 608 if the role touches refrigerants, plus any electrical or boiler licenses, and store copies with expiration tracking.
Store the records
Keep the signed offer, the I-9 and tax forms, safety acknowledgments, certifications, and tool sign-out organized and audit-ready.
Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the next step, and an onboarding template gives the new hire a structured start. For related trades hires, the HVAC technician and handyman templates round out a facilities team, where a maintenance technician maintains a site's systems and a handyman covers broad cross-trade tasks. FirstHR connects the offer, paperwork, e-signatures, safety training, certification tracking, and the onboarding workflow in one place so a small operator can manage the full process from one system. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a work-order, CMMS, or payroll tool, and it does not run payroll or administer benefits, so connect those separately. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
A maintenance technician keeps a site's building, equipment, and systems in working order through preventive maintenance and repairs across trades.
Use the template that matches the setting: general, apartment, facility, hotel, industrial, or small business.
The role is non-exempt and hourly; the core federal occupation reports a median of $48,620 a year (BLS, May 2024), with industrial roles higher.
Safety is central: OSHA lockout/tagout (29 CFR 1910.147), plus electrical, confined-space, and fall protection where they apply.
If the work touches refrigerants, EPA Section 608 certification is federally required; verify and track it along with electrical and boiler licenses.
Turnover is severe, so a repeatable hiring and onboarding process, with safety training built in, pays off every time you hire.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a maintenance technician do?
A maintenance technician keeps a building, its equipment, and its systems in safe, working condition by performing preventive maintenance and repairs across several trades. Day to day, that means diagnosing and fixing plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and mechanical problems, responding to work orders, performing scheduled preventive maintenance, and handling general building repairs. It is the single largest skilled-trade role in the country, and the specific work shifts with the setting: an apartment technician does unit make-readies and resident work orders, a facility technician maintains building systems, a hotel technician balances repairs with guest service, and an industrial technician troubleshoots production machinery. The common thread is hands-on, safety-minded repair work, often with on-call or emergency response.
What are the main maintenance technician duties and responsibilities?
Maintenance technician duties cluster into four areas. Preventive maintenance: performing scheduled service, inspecting building systems, and catching small issues early. Repairs across trades: fixing plumbing, electrical, and mechanical problems, maintaining HVAC, lighting, and appliances, and handling general building repairs. Work orders and response: completing work orders, supporting on-call and emergency repairs, and documenting work. Safety and compliance: following lockout/tagout, using PPE, and maintaining required certifications. A strong job description picks the responsibilities from each area that match the setting, since an apartment role adds make-readies and resident work orders while an industrial role focuses on machinery and downtime. Match the duties to your operation rather than listing every possible task.
Is a maintenance technician exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
A maintenance technician is non-exempt and paid hourly. Maintenance and repair work is manual, blue-collar work, which does not qualify for the white-collar exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act, so technicians are entitled to overtime pay at one and a half times their regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. The Department of Labor is explicit that blue-collar workers in maintenance and similar occupations are entitled to minimum wage and overtime no matter how highly paid they are. Because the role frequently involves on-call and emergency work, overtime is common, so employers should track hours carefully and account for on-call pay. State the non-exempt, hourly classification and a pay range in the posting, and note that some states set higher minimum wages and additional overtime rules. This is general information, not legal advice.
Does a maintenance technician need EPA 608 certification?
If the technician will service, maintain, or repair equipment that could release refrigerants, then yes. Under EPA Section 608 of the Clean Air Act, technicians who work on appliances containing refrigerants must hold the appropriate certification, which comes in Type I, Type II, Type III, or Universal levels depending on the equipment. This is common for apartment, hotel, and facility maintenance roles that involve HVAC and refrigeration work. The certification does not expire, but the employer should verify it and keep a copy on file. If the role does not involve refrigerants, EPA 608 is not required, though it is still a valuable credential. Name EPA 608 in the posting when the work calls for it, and treat it, along with any electrical or boiler licenses, as something to verify and track. This is general information, not legal advice.
What safety training does a maintenance technician need?
Maintenance is a safety-critical role, so safety training is central, not optional. The most important is the OSHA Control of Hazardous Energy standard, lockout/tagout (29 CFR 1910.147), which requires procedures to keep machines and equipment from unexpectedly starting up during service and maintenance, and it is one of the most frequently cited OSHA standards. Depending on the work, electrical safety, confined spaces, fall protection, and hazard communication for chemicals also apply, along with proper PPE. The practical approach is to build documented safety training and a signed lockout/tagout acknowledgment into onboarding before the technician starts hands-on work, since they work around hazardous energy regularly. Keep training records on file. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the difference between a maintenance technician and a handyman?
They overlap, but the roles differ in scope and structure. A maintenance technician is usually an employee responsible for the building systems and equipment at a specific site, such as an apartment community, facility, hotel, or plant, with a focus on preventive maintenance, work orders, and often certifications like EPA 608 and documented safety training. A handyman is a broad, cross-trade generalist who handles a wide range of smaller repair and improvement tasks, and is often engaged for varied jobs rather than maintaining one site's systems. The handyman role also raises the employee-versus-contractor question more often. For an employer staffing a property or facility, a maintenance technician is typically the right framing; for occasional varied repairs, a handyman may fit better. Match the title to the actual work and the certifications it requires.
How much does a maintenance technician make?
Maintenance technicians are paid hourly, with pay varying by setting, region, and experience. The core federal occupation, general maintenance and repair workers, had a median wage of $48,620 a year as of the May 2024 data, with the lowest 10 percent under $33,860 and the highest 10 percent over $76,110. Pay tends to run lower for entry-level and apartment roles and higher for facility and industrial roles, and the related occupation of industrial machinery mechanics and maintenance workers had a higher median of $63,510 a year, reflecting the heavier mechanical and troubleshooting skills those roles require. Because the role is non-exempt, overtime applies on top of base pay, which is common given on-call and emergency work. Set your hourly range using current local market data for your setting and post it. This is general information, not legal advice.
What should a maintenance technician job description include?
A strong maintenance technician job description names the setting up front, whether apartment, facility, hotel, industrial, or general, includes a short company summary, a job summary that captures the preventive-maintenance-and-repair focus, and responsibilities grouped into preventive maintenance, repairs across trades, work orders and response, and safety and compliance. It should state the experience and physical requirements honestly, name the schedule including any on-call or emergency expectations, and note the FLSA non-exempt, hourly classification with a pay range. The most valuable additions that generic templates skip are the compliance and safety details: OSHA lockout/tagout and safety training, EPA Section 608 certification when the work touches refrigerants, and any electrical or boiler licenses. Close with an equal opportunity statement and clear apply instructions. This is general information, not legal advice.
