Technician job description templates by trade: HVAC, automotive, maintenance, IT help desk, and veterinary, with FLSA and certification guidance. DOCX.
6 templates by trade for small businesses: a universal baseline plus HVAC, automotive, maintenance, IT help desk, and veterinary versions, with the FLSA non-exempt and certification guidance the generic templates skip. Download as DOCX.
Technician is one of the broadest job titles there is. The same word covers an HVAC tech servicing a rooftop unit, an automotive tech diagnosing a check-engine light, a maintenance tech fixing a leak across a property, an IT tech resolving a help desk ticket, and a vet tech assisting in surgery. They share a hands-on, install-diagnose-and-repair core, but the duties, the certifications, the pay structure, and the safety profile look nothing alike, which is why a single generic posting rarely works.
At FirstHR, we build templates for small businesses that handle hiring themselves, which is exactly the HVAC contractor, the independent shop, the property manager, the MSP, and the clinic hiring a technician directly. The six templates below start from a universal baseline and then split by trade, and each treats the two things generic templates skip as central: the FLSA non-exempt classification and the trade-specific certification.
Technician covers many trades, so write the posting for your specific one. Across HVAC, automotive, maintenance, IT help desk, and veterinary, a technician is non-exempt and owed overtime, even on flat-rate or piece-rate pay, because technicians do not qualify for the white-collar exemptions. Name the required certification (EPA 608, ASE, CVT/RVT/LVT, CompTIA A+) for your trade. Federal median pay runs roughly $46,000 to $60,000 by trade. Download six templates as DOCX, by trade, with FLSA and certification guidance built in.
What a Technician Does
A technician installs, maintains, troubleshoots, and repairs equipment or systems within a specific trade. The shared core is hands-on diagnostic and repair work: figuring out what is wrong, fixing it to standard, following safety procedures, and documenting what was done. What changes from trade to trade is everything specific, the systems, the tools, the certification, the pay structure, and the hazards.
Because the title spans so many fields, the bare term works best as a starting point that you make specific. The federal occupational data reflects this by tracking each trade separately rather than as one technician category, from HVAC mechanics and installers to veterinary technologists and technicians. That is exactly why the templates below split by trade.
Technician duties cluster into four areas that hold across trades: service and repair, safety and compliance, documentation, and customer or team work. A strong job description picks the specific responsibilities from each area that match your trade, rather than listing every possible task.
Service and repair
Install, service, and repair equipment or systems
Diagnose and troubleshoot problems
Complete work to quality and safety standards
Safety and compliance
Follow safety procedures and use PPE
Meet codes and certification requirements
Handle materials and chemicals safely
Documentation
Record work, parts, and service performed
Maintain accurate records or tickets
Report issues and recommendations
Customers and team
Communicate clearly with customers or users
Coordinate with the team and dispatch
Keep current on products and procedures
The weights shift by trade, refrigerant handling for HVAC, ticket resolution for IT, patient care for a vet tech, but the categories hold. For a structured way to scope the role to your operation, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by your trade. The universal baseline works as a starting structure for any technician role, and the five trade-specific versions adapt the duties, certifications, and pay notes to a particular field. Use this guide to choose the closest fit, then make it specific to your business.
General Technician
Any trade or industry
The universal baseline: install, service, troubleshoot, and repair. Start here, then adapt the duties, certifications, and systems to your field.
HVAC Technician
Heating, cooling, refrigeration
For HVAC contractors: system install and repair, EPA Section 608 refrigerant handling, seasonal and on-call work, and field service.
Automotive Technician
Repair shops, service centers
For auto shops: diagnose and repair vehicle systems, with a note on flat-rate pay and why it stays non-exempt under the FLSA.
Maintenance Technician
Facilities, property, light mfg
For multi-trade upkeep: general repairs across plumbing, electrical, and HVAC basics, work orders, and preventive maintenance.
IT / Help Desk Technician
MSPs, in-house SMB IT
For tech support: tickets, hardware and software troubleshooting, and a clear note that help desk roles are non-exempt.
Veterinary Technician
Small animal clinics
For vet clinics: assist with exams and procedures, run lab work, and provide patient care, with credentialing left as a field.
Match the Template to the Trade
Any trade as a starting point: General Technician. Heating and cooling: HVAC Technician. Vehicle repair: Automotive Technician. Multi-trade building upkeep: Maintenance Technician. Tech support and tickets: IT / Help Desk Technician. Animal clinic: Veterinary Technician. When your trade has a dedicated page, start from the baseline here, then go deeper there.
6 Technician Job Description Templates
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 FLSA and pay note, and how to apply, with an EEO statement. Fill in the brackets and post.
Download All 6 Job Description Templates
General, HVAC, automotive, maintenance, IT help desk, and veterinary. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: General Technician (Universal)
The universal baseline for any trade: install, service, troubleshoot, and repair. Start here, then adapt the duties, certifications, and systems to your field.
For auto shops: diagnose and repair vehicle systems, with a note on flat-rate pay and why it stays non-exempt under the FLSA.
Automotive Technician Job Description
AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __
Location: __
Reports to: [Service Manager / Shop Owner]
Employment type: [ ] Full-time
FLSA status: Non-exempt (hourly or flat-rate; overtime eligible)
Pay range: $_____ to $_____ per hour [or flat-rate plan]
JOB SUMMARY
[Company Name] is hiring an Automotive Technician to diagnose, service, and
repair vehicles in our shop. You will perform maintenance and repairs across
systems, use diagnostic equipment, and complete quality work that keeps our
customers safely on the road.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Diagnose, service, and repair vehicle systems
•Perform maintenance: brakes, fluids, tires, and tune-ups
•Use diagnostic scan tools and equipment
•Complete repair orders and document work accurately
•Follow safety procedures and shop standards
•Maintain tools and keep the bay clean and organized
•Communicate findings to the service advisor or customer
•Keep current on vehicle technology and procedures
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•High school diploma or equivalent; automotive training preferred
•[N] year(s) of automotive repair experience
•Ability to diagnose and repair across vehicle systems
•[ASE certification or willingness to obtain]
•Own tools [or willingness to build a tool set]
•Valid driver's license
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY (FLAT-RATE NOTE)
Pay range: $_____ to $_____ per hour [or flat-rate]
Note: flat-rate technicians are still non-exempt; track hours and ensure pay
meets minimum wage and overtime for hours over 40 in a week.
To apply, send your resume to __.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Template 4: Maintenance Technician
For facilities, property, and light manufacturing: general repairs across plumbing, electrical, and HVAC basics, work orders, and preventive maintenance.
Maintenance Technician Job Description
MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __
Location: __
Reports to: [Facilities / Property / Operations Manager]
For small animal clinics: assist with exams and procedures, run lab work, and provide patient care, with credentialing left as a field to match your state.
This is the part the generic templates skip, and it is where the real value is for a small employer: the FLSA classification that applies to every technician trade, the way flat-rate pay still owes overtime, and the certification each trade requires. Get these right and your posting attracts qualified candidates and protects your business.
FLSA: technicians are non-exempt, and that is the detail generic templates skip
This is the single most important and most-missed point when hiring a technician, and it applies across HVAC, automotive, maintenance, IT help desk, and veterinary roles alike. Under Department of Labor guidance, technologists and technicians do not qualify for the learned professional exemption, because that exemption requires an advanced specialized academic degree as a standard prerequisite, and technician work does not. Blue-collar maintenance and repair workers are non-exempt regardless of how highly paid they are, and help desk and IT-support staff are specifically excluded from the computer-employee exemption. The practical result is that a technician is non-exempt and owed overtime at one and a half times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a week. Classify by the actual duties, not the title. This is general information, not legal advice.
Flat-rate, piece-rate, and on-call pay still owe overtime
Many trades pay technicians on a flat-rate or piece-rate basis rather than a straight hourly wage, and this is where small employers most often get wage-and-hour wrong. A flat-rate or piece-rate technician is still non-exempt: you must track actual hours worked, ensure pay meets the minimum wage, and pay overtime for hours over 40 in a week, calculated on the regular rate derived from total pay. On-call time can also count as hours worked depending on how restrictive the arrangement is. State the pay structure plainly in the posting, and build hour tracking into your process from day one so a busy week does not turn into a back-pay problem. This is general information, not legal advice.
Name the license or certification the role actually requires
Technician roles often carry a specific credential, and naming it correctly in the posting filters for qualified candidates and keeps you compliant. HVAC technicians who handle refrigerant need EPA Section 608 certification. Automotive technicians often hold or work toward ASE certification. Veterinary technicians are credentialed (CVT, RVT, or LVT) under state-specific rules, and some duties like radiography or anesthesia are regulated. IT technicians may hold CompTIA A+ or similar. List the required credential as a true requirement and any preferred ones separately, and avoid listing a credential as required if it is not genuinely needed for the role. This is general information, not legal advice.
Write physical and safety requirements honestly, with the ADA in mind
Technician work is physical and often hazardous, so the job description should state the real demands: lifting limits, standing or kneeling for the shift, working in confined or elevated spaces, exposure to weather, chemicals, or moving equipment, and any driving. Frame these as essential functions and add that reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform them, which is the language the Americans with Disabilities Act calls for. Many trades sit among the higher-injury occupations, so spelling out safety expectations and required PPE both sets accurate expectations and signals that you run a safe, serious operation. This is general information, not legal advice.
Technicians Are Non-Exempt
Under the Department of Labor, technologists and technicians do not qualify for the learned professional exemption because it requires an advanced specialized academic degree as a standard prerequisite, which technician work does not (DOL Fact Sheet 17D). Blue-collar repair workers are non-exempt regardless of pay, and help desk staff are excluded from the computer exemption. So a technician is non-exempt and owed overtime over 40 hours, even on flat-rate pay. Classify by duties, not title.
Technician requirements combine hands-on skill, the right credential, and safety awareness, scaled to the trade. Match the requirements to your field and keep every line genuinely job-related.
Requirement
What to look for
Education
High school diploma; trade or technical training preferred
Experience
Relevant hands-on experience in your specific trade
Certification
EPA 608 (HVAC), ASE (auto), CVT/RVT/LVT (vet), A+ (IT), as the trade requires
Skills
Diagnose, troubleshoot, and repair your equipment or systems
Safety
Follows safety procedures and uses required PPE
Classification
Non-exempt, hourly or flat-rate; overtime over 40 hours a week
Keep the posting neutral and inclusive, since 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.
Technician Pay by Trade
Technician pay varies widely by trade, so benchmark to the specific role rather than a single technician figure. Use government data as a baseline, then adjust for your market and the certification and experience you require.
Median Pay by Trade (BLS, May 2024)
Federal median annual wages by trade: HVAC mechanics and installers $59,810, computer user support specialists (help desk) $60,340, automotive service technicians and mechanics $49,670, general maintenance and repair workers $48,620, and veterinary technologists and technicians $45,980 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Most trade roles pay hourly, and overtime and on-call premiums often push total pay above the base median.
Within each trade, certification, experience, and location move the number most, and several of these fields are growing: HVAC is projected to grow about 8 percent and veterinary technicians about 9 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than average. Because skilled technicians are in demand, a competitive, clearly stated pay range matters, which is why the templates leave compensation as a field. National compensation surveys can help you set one for your specific trade and market.
Hiring a Technician for a Small Business
A large company hires technicians through a dedicated HR and safety department. A small HVAC contractor, an independent shop, a property manager, an MSP, or a vet clinic does not. The owner or an operations lead writes the posting, screens applicants, and onboards the new hire, often between running the business. Here is how to write the posting for that reality, and the classification trap to avoid.
Generic templates are written for no one, so they fit no one
Search the bare term and you get an interchangeable roster of template-vendor pages describing a generic technician who installs, repairs, and troubleshoots something unspecified. That vagueness is the problem. A small HVAC contractor, an independent auto shop, a property manager, an MSP, and a vet clinic each hire a technician, but the duties, certifications, pay structure, and safety profile look nothing alike. A posting that names your specific trade, the systems you run, and the credential you need attracts a qualified candidate, while a generic one attracts a pile of mismatched applications. The templates here start from a universal baseline and then split by trade for exactly this reason: pick the one closest to your work and make it specific, rather than posting a vague description copied from an unrelated industry.
The classification trap: putting a technician on a flat salary with no overtime
The most common and costly mistake a small employer makes with a technician is treating the role as exempt, often because the person is skilled, certified, and paid well. Technicians do not qualify for the white-collar exemptions: they lack the advanced-degree prerequisite for the learned professional exemption, blue-collar repair work is non-exempt regardless of pay, and help desk and IT-support staff are excluded from the computer exemption. So a technician is non-exempt and owed overtime, whether paid hourly, flat-rate, or piece-rate. On a small team where the owner pays a flat weekly amount and never tracks hours, a busy season can quietly create a real back-pay liability. Track hours, pay overtime over 40, and only treat a role as exempt when the duties genuinely qualify. No generic template warns you about this, which is exactly why ours does. This is general information, not legal advice.
Onboarding a technician is credentials, safety, and a fast, repeatable first week
Whichever trade you hire for, the work after hiring is people operations made specific by the technician role: a signed offer letter with the pay structure and overtime terms, the new hire paperwork and I-9, verification of the required license or certification, safety and equipment training with signed acknowledgments, and a first-week checklist covering tools, systems, and the schedule. Because the trades see high demand and real turnover, a smooth, repeatable process pays off every time you hire. FirstHR fits this people side for a small trade or service business: e-signature for the offer letter and safety acknowledgments, training modules for safety and process onboarding, task workflows for the first-week checklist, and document management for signed forms, I-9s, and certifications. To be clear about scope, FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a field-service, shop-management, or ticketing system, and it does not run payroll or administer benefits, so pair it with those. 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 a trade-specific onboarding, starting with the new hire paperwork. Because technician roles involve safety, certifications, and high demand, a smooth, repeatable process that gets safety and paperwork right pays off every time you hire.
Send the offer
Confirm the role, pay structure, overtime terms, schedule, and start date in writing. An offer letter template makes this fast for an hourly or flat-rate technician role.
Verify credentials and paperwork
I-9 within three business days, tax forms, and verification of the required license or certification, signed and stored in one place.
Train on safety and systems
Safety, PPE, and equipment or systems training with signed acknowledgments, documented before the technician starts solo work.
Store the records
Keep the signed offer, certifications, safety acknowledgments, and the I-9 organized and easy to find for audits.
Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the next step, and an onboarding template gives the new hire a structured start. FirstHR connects the offer, paperwork, e-signatures, safety and certification acknowledgments, and onboarding workflow in one place, so a small trade or service business can manage the full process from job description to a fully onboarded technician from one system. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a field-service, shop-management, or ticketing tool, and it does not run payroll or administer benefits, so connect those separately. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
Technician is a broad title; write the posting for your specific trade, since HVAC, automotive, maintenance, IT, and veterinary roles share almost nothing day to day.
Use the template that matches the trade: general baseline, HVAC, automotive, maintenance, IT help desk, or veterinary.
Technicians are non-exempt and owed overtime; they do not qualify for the white-collar exemptions, and help desk staff are excluded from the computer exemption.
Flat-rate and piece-rate technicians still owe overtime; track hours and do not put a technician on a flat salary with no overtime.
Name the trade's certification: EPA 608 for HVAC, ASE for automotive, CVT/RVT/LVT for veterinary, CompTIA A+ for IT.
Use BLS data by trade as a baseline: median pay runs roughly $46,000 (veterinary) to $60,000 (HVAC, IT help desk) in May 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a technician do?
A technician installs, maintains, troubleshoots, and repairs equipment or systems within a specific trade or field. The core work, diagnosing problems, completing repairs and installations to standard, following safety procedures, and documenting the work, stays the same across fields, but the specifics differ sharply by trade. An HVAC technician services heating and cooling systems and handles refrigerant. An automotive technician diagnoses and repairs vehicles. A maintenance technician handles multi-trade upkeep across a building or property. An IT or help desk technician troubleshoots hardware, software, and network issues. A veterinary technician assists veterinarians with animal patients. Because the title is so broad, a useful job description always names the specific trade, the systems involved, and the required certification rather than describing a generic technician.
Is a technician exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
A technician is almost always non-exempt and owed overtime. Under Department of Labor guidance, technologists and technicians, including engineering, veterinary, and similar roles, do not qualify for the learned professional exemption, because that exemption requires an advanced specialized academic degree as a standard prerequisite for the occupation, which technician work does not. Blue-collar maintenance and repair workers are non-exempt regardless of how highly they are paid, and help desk and IT-support staff are specifically excluded from the computer-employee exemption. The result is that HVAC, automotive, maintenance, IT help desk, and veterinary technicians are non-exempt and owed overtime at one and a half times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a week. A rare exception is an engineering technician with an advanced degree doing predominantly intellectual work. Classify by actual duties, not the title. This is general information, not legal advice.
Do flat-rate or piece-rate technicians get overtime?
Yes. A technician paid on a flat-rate or piece-rate basis, common in automotive and some trades, is still non-exempt under the FLSA. The employer must track actual hours worked, ensure pay meets the applicable minimum wage, and pay overtime for hours over 40 in a workweek, calculated on the regular rate derived from total earnings. Paying a flat weekly or per-job amount without tracking hours is one of the most common wage-and-hour mistakes small employers make, and it can create back-pay liability during a busy season. State the pay structure plainly in the posting and build hour tracking into your process from the start. This is general information, not legal advice.
What certification does a technician need?
It depends entirely on the trade, which is why a good posting names the specific credential. HVAC technicians who handle refrigerant must hold EPA Section 608 certification. Automotive technicians often hold or work toward ASE certification, which is widely expected though not legally mandated. Veterinary technicians are credentialed as CVT, RVT, or LVT under state-specific rules, and certain duties such as radiography and anesthesia may be regulated. IT and help desk technicians may hold CompTIA A+ or vendor certifications, which are typically preferred rather than required. Maintenance technicians may need trade-specific licenses depending on the work. List the genuinely required credential as a requirement and preferred ones separately, and do not list a credential as required if the role does not actually need it. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the difference between a technician and a mechanic, or a technician and an engineer?
These titles overlap and the boundaries vary by industry. Technician and mechanic are often used interchangeably in the trades, though mechanic tends to emphasize repair of machinery and vehicles while technician can imply a broader install, diagnose, and service scope, especially where electronics and software are involved. An engineer is generally a more senior, design-and-analysis role that usually requires a degree and, for licensed roles, a professional license, while a technician focuses on hands-on install, maintenance, and repair. The classification follows the actual duties: most technician roles are non-exempt, while many engineering roles are exempt. Match the title to the real scope of the work and to the level you are hiring for, rather than choosing the most impressive-sounding title. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does a technician make?
Technician pay varies widely by trade, region, and experience. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2024 median annual wages as a baseline: HVAC mechanics and installers earned about $59,810, computer user support specialists (help desk) about $60,340, automotive service technicians and mechanics about $49,670, general maintenance and repair workers about $48,620, and veterinary technologists and technicians about $45,980. Most of these roles pay hourly, and many trade technicians earn meaningfully more than the base median through overtime, on-call premiums, and bonuses, which the medians do not capture. Pay also runs higher in high-cost states and for certified, experienced technicians. For a posting, benchmark to the specific trade and your local market, and include a pay range where required. This is general information, not legal advice.
What should a technician job description include?
A strong technician job description names the specific trade up front, since a generic technician posting attracts mismatched applicants, and includes a company summary, a job summary, responsibilities grouped into service and repair, safety and compliance, documentation, and customer or team work, plus required qualifications. It should state the physical and safety requirements with ADA-appropriate language, name the genuinely required license or certification, and confirm the FLSA non-exempt classification and pay structure, including how flat-rate or piece-rate pay still owes overtime. Including a pay range supports compliance and candidate quality. The most valuable additions that generic templates skip are the FLSA and overtime guidance, the certification requirement, and honest physical and safety expectations. Close with an equal opportunity statement and clear apply instructions. This is general information, not legal advice.
Should I write one technician job description or one per role?
Write one per role, matched to the specific trade. The bare term technician is too broad to convert well, both for search and for candidates, because an HVAC technician, an automotive technician, a maintenance technician, an IT help desk technician, and a veterinary technician share almost nothing in their day-to-day duties, certifications, pay structures, or safety profiles. A posting that names the trade, the systems you run, and the credential you require reads more credibly and attracts qualified applicants, while a generic one attracts a flood of mismatched resumes. Use the universal baseline template on this page as a starting structure, then choose the trade-specific version closest to your work and customize it. This is general information, not legal advice.
