Maintenance fitter
Engineering maintenance fitter, maintenance engineer
Maintenance fitters install, service and repair industrial machinery and equipment.
Salary range: £16,000 to £35,000
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. Useful subjects include:
- Level 2 Certificate in Mechanical Engineering
- Level 2 Diploma in Maintenance Engineering Technology
- Level 3 Certificate in Fabrication and Welding Engineering Technology
Entry requirements
You may need:
- 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
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Apprenticeship
You could get into this job through a maintenance operations engineering intermediate or advanced apprenticeship.
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
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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 relevant qualifications and experience. This could be from mechanical engineering, pipefitting, welding or electrical work.
More information
Registration
- you’ll need an industry safety certificate like the Client Contractor National Safety Group (CCNSG) Safety Passport Scheme for many jobs
Further information
You can find more details about careers in engineering from the ECITB and Tomorrow’s Engineers.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You’ll need:
- the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
- practical skills for repairing and maintaining equipment
- the ability to repair machines or systems
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with others
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to work on your own
- thinking and reasoning skills
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
What you’ll do
Day-to-day tasks
Your day-to-day tasks may include:
- installing pipework, valves, pumps and motors
- carrying out planned maintenance checks
- finding and fixing faults
- replacing worn parts and re-setting instrument controls
- cleaning machinery
- responding 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.
Career path and progression
You could do further training while you work, to become an engineering technician or site supervisor. Relevant courses include:
- Level 3 (NVQ) Diploma in Engineering Maintenance
- Level 3 Diploma in Installing Engineering Construction Plant and Systems – Mechanical Fitting
- Level 3 Combined Diploma in Process Engineering Maintenance