Maintenance fitter
Maintenance fitters install, service and repair industrial machinery and equipment.
Also known as: Engineering maintenance fitter, maintenance engineer
- Starter salary£24,000 a year
- Experienced£38,000 a year
- Typical hours42 to 44 a week
What you'll do
As a maintenance fitter, you could:
- install pipework, valves, pumps and motors
- carry out planned maintenance checks
- find and fix faults
- replace worn parts, reset instrument controls and clean machinery
- respond to emergency breakdowns, for example on a factory production line
Working environment
You could work in a factory or at a client's business.
You may need to wear protective clothing.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- practical skills for repairing and maintaining equipment
- the ability to work well with your hands
- problem-solving skills
- the ability to work on your own
- the ability to make decisions about tools and equipment
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with others
- concentration skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become a maintenance fitter
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
College
You could take a college course to learn some of the skills you'll need in this job.
Relevant subjects include:
- engineering
- mechanical or electrical engineering
- fabrication and welding
- T Level in Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
Apprenticeship
You could apply to do an apprenticeship, such as:
- Engineering and Manufacturing Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship
- Engineering Fitter Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
- Engineering Maintenance Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
- Maintenance Operations Engineering Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
Work
You could start as an engineering operative or trainee craftsperson and do training on the job to become a fitter.
Direct application
You can apply directly for maintenance fitter jobs if you've got qualifications and experience in maintenance work, like:
- mechanical engineering
- pipefitting
- welding
- electrical engineering
Foundation apprenticeship
You can apply for a foundation apprenticeship if you're aged 16 to 21.
If you're aged 22 to 24, you can apply if you:
- have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
- are in care or have been in care
- are in prison or have been in prison
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- no specific qualifications or experience to apply for a foundation apprenticeship
- 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
Career path and progression
You could do further training while you work to become an engineering technician or site supervisor.
You might specialise in particular industries, like marine engineering, heavy vehicle repair, manufacturing or power generation.
Registration
- you'll need an industry safety certificate like the Client Contractor National Safety Group (CCNSG) Safety Passport Scheme for many jobs
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleEngineering maintenance technician
- Job roleElectrical engineering technician
- Job roleGas service technician
- Job rolePipe fitter
- Job roleWelder
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