Industrial Maintenance Technician - High Pay No Degree Required

About the Role

The Elite Job is hiring skilled Industrial Maintenance Technicians for food and beverage, automotive, consumer goods, and general manufacturing facilities across the Midwest and Southeast. Industrial maintenance is one of the highest-paying manufacturing roles available without a four-year college degree — experienced technicians with electrical and mechanical skills earn $28 – $42 per hour, and those who can troubleshoot PLC-controlled systems are in exceptionally high demand. Every minute a production line is down costs the plant money, and the technician who gets it running again is worth every dollar they earn.

What You Will Do

• Diagnose and repair mechanical failures including conveyor systems, gearboxes, pumps, pneumatic cylinders, and hydraulic circuits
• Troubleshoot electrical faults in 480V three-phase motor control circuits, variable frequency drives (VFDs), and machine control panels
• Perform PLC troubleshooting using Allen-Bradley, Siemens, or Omron platforms — reading ladder logic to identify fault conditions
• Conduct preventive maintenance tasks on schedule including lubrication, belt and chain tensioning, alignment checks, and filter replacements
• Perform precision shaft alignment and V-belt tensioning on rotating equipment using laser alignment tools and tension gauges
• Weld and fabricate steel components for equipment repair and custom tooling using MIG or stick welding as needed
• Work with operations and engineering teams during planned maintenance shutdowns to complete corrective and improvement work on schedule
• Document all work orders, parts usage, and equipment history accurately in the CMMS (computerized maintenance management system)

What You Need

• Minimum 3 years of industrial maintenance experience in a manufacturing or processing environment
• Strong electrical troubleshooting ability — safely working on 480V systems with LOTO and identifying faults with a multimeter
• Solid mechanical skills — bearing replacements, gearbox rebuilds, conveyor maintenance, and pneumatic system repair
• Basic PLC troubleshooting — ability to read Allen-Bradley or Siemens ladder logic and identify faults at the contact level
• Comfortable working rotating shifts including nights and weekends — manufacturing runs 24/7 and maintenance follows
• Physical ability to lift up to 50 lbs, work in confined spaces, and perform maintenance in awkward positions
• High school diploma or GED — no college degree required; vocational or technical school training is a strong plus

Nice to Have

• Journeyman Electrician license or industrial electrical training certification
• Allen-Bradley PLC programming or Rockwell Automation certification
• Hydraulics and pneumatics systems certification (IFPS or equivalent)
• Predictive maintenance experience — vibration analysis, thermography, or ultrasound inspection

What We Offer

• Competitive pay of $28 – $42 per hour based on skill set depth and facility type
• Shift differential pay for evening and overnight shifts
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for full-time maintenance staff
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
• Paid vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays
• Company-sponsored PLC training, electrical safety certification, and CMMS system training
• Career advancement into Maintenance Supervisor, Reliability Engineer, and Plant Engineering roles

Industrial maintenance is one of the most versatile and best-compensated manufacturing careers in the United States — and it is built entirely on applied technical skills, not academic credentials. If you can diagnose a bad VFD, rebuild a gearbox, and read a ladder logic rung, you have skills that manufacturing plants are desperately paying to retain. At The Elite Job, we match skilled maintenance technicians with facilities that pay what those skills are worth. Apply today.

The Elite Job is an equal opportunity employer. We recruit industrial maintenance professionals across all US manufacturing markets.