Similar title descriptions: Millwright
Salary range: $35,000 – $45,000
Degree/training/certificate required: Two-year degree in mechanical technology, or, two- to four-year apprenticeship or commensurate experience
This is a position that, typically, one tests into after being hired. Those with two-year college degrees will require some on-the-job training. Those without degrees may qualify, based on ability and seniority, for company training or an apprenticeship program. Apprenticeship programs usually require tenth-grade-level math and reading skills.
Maintenance technicians in the mechanical arena are usually people who enjoy working with their hands, taking things apart and putting them back together, or repairing their own cars or appliances. As expert troubleshooters in the steel mill, they are called in when a production line or piece of equipment is having a mechanical problem. They must work quickly, under pressure and show sound judgment by indicating when a piece of equipment must be shut down for safety reasons and when it can keep operating. They also perform preventive maintenance.