Posted On: June 5, 2025

Is a Career in Building Maintenance Right for You?

Are you considering a career in building maintenance but unsure if it’s the right fit for you? With the demand for skilled maintenance professionals rising, now is the perfect time to explore this field. From handling repairs to ensuring buildings operate efficiently, this career offers stability, hands-on work, and plenty of opportunities for growth.

In this article, we will break down the duties, skills, and benefits of becoming a building maintenance technician.

What Does a Career in Building Maintenance Involve?

To do the job, you have to know the job. We’ll break down the basic job description of a building maintenance technician.

A building maintenance technician repairs and maintains equipment, grounds, and buildings. As a building maintenance technician, you are usually employed by property owners or managers to maintain the condition of their properties.

To increase your hireability, you can also pursue a specialty. There are technicians who specialize in building maintenance and may work on residences, hotels, workplaces, colleges, retail establishments, hospitals, and more. The list of duties associated with the job is extensive and includes:

Addressing requests for maintenance
Identifying and fixing building problems
Conducting routine maintenance
Taking inventory of cleaning and repair supplies
Keeping up with pest control, pool maintenance, and landscaping
Conducting safety inspections
Ensuring safety systems are in working order
Setting up any new equipment
Scheduling repairs
Maintaining documentation of inspections and completed work

While this may look challenging, many building maintenance technicians derive a lot of job satisfaction from the wide scope of their responsibilities.

Skills and Qualities Needed for Success

In recent years, it has been difficult for companies to recruit and maintain skilled staff, particularly maintenance professionals. However, becoming a building maintenance technician is not as hard as you may think.

Here are the skills you need to stand out from the other candidates and secure your career as a successful building maintenance technician:

Technical Expertise - You will have to be proficient with a range of building systems, such as HVAC, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems.
Solution-Oriented Thinking - Your success is measured by your capacity for prompt and effective problem diagnosis and troubleshooting.
Detail-Oriented - You need to be meticulous and take your time to spot problems before they become issues. Consistently focus on the small aspects of tasks to ensure accuracy and precision in your work.
Effective Communication - The ability to understand problems and explain technical aspects to clients and coworkers is crucial for safety and effectiveness.
Endurance and Resilience - This is a physical job that requires you to do things like climb ladders, lift large equipment, and work in uncomfortable positions.
Flexibility - A feather in your cap is the ability to adapt to changing objectives and unanticipated events.
Resource Management - You have to stay on top of work orders, tools, and maintenance records.
Risk Management - You need to follow safety guidelines and procedures when performing maintenance.
Interpersonal Skills - You will need to maintain positive relationships with building tenants regarding maintenance demands.

Benefits of a Career in Building Maintenance

Over the course of their careers, building maintenance professionals can take advantage of the following advantages in addition to good compensation and career advancement.

With a career in building maintenance, you will have a flexible work schedule and flexible workplace locations. This is ideal for anyone who dislikes being confined to a desk or cubicle. You can work anywhere, whether it's a local residential area, office park, or something else entirely.

Working independently and autonomously offers high control over your work, allowing you to work with various system and equipment types such as HVAC systems, plumbing, electrical wiring, appliances, painting, carpentry, drywall, and cement.

Building maintenance technicians in the US make, on average, $22.48 per hour as of February 2025. As always, there are chances for you to grow professionally, and as you do, compensation rises. How much money you make will be determined by factors such as your level of experience, where you live, and your skill level.

As a building maintenance technician, you can pursue various careers such as construction worker, carpenter, plumber, and electrician. This career allows you to directly impact people's living and working experiences in buildings, and you can see the positive results of your work and satisfaction in solving problems. Additionally, you can make repairs at home without hiring a professional.

Challenges to Consider

Now, it’s time to look at the other side of the coin. As with any career, there are challenges to consider before you start your journey. We want to ensure you're fully informed about what to expect without overwhelming you or discouraging you from pursuing a career change

Maintenance is a crucial aspect of property management, yet it can be a challenging and time-consuming operation. Key challenges to consider would be your physical health. A job in maintenance, in any capacity, comes with physical demands. It can be physically exhausting to lift large objects, climb ladders, operate in confined locations, and have an active schedule all day long.

Along with those physical demands, there are safety concerns. As a building maintenance technician, you will be exposed to dangerous materials, operate at heights, and must adhere to very strict safety regulations. Risk management means staying cool under pressure and being able to respond quickly.

However, there is one challenge that we have your back on. In order to become a maintenance technician, you will need a very valuable skill set. You will need expertise in a variety of disciplines, including plumbing, electrical, carpentry, and HVAC. To be an effective building maintenance specialist, you may need considerable training and continual learning. That is why we offer a convenience course bundle to help you acquire all the skills you need to overcome all these challenges.

Get Trained Today

If you want to qualify for any sort of building maintenance job, you will need training. The good news is you don’t need a fancy degree; building maintenance jobs only require a high school diploma or GED.

A quality training program can jumpstart your career without any hassle. You can easily transition from a high school graduate to a full-time employee in a high-demand profession.

To get started, take a look at our building maintenance training series package. We offer you an in-depth look at the major areas of building maintenance. The online format allows you to work at your own pace. So, get started today!