Salary guide, May 2025
Lead Maintenance Technician pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers in the United States was $79,860 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $62,690 and $101,360.
Broader occupation · SOC 49-1011 First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $49,600 | $62,690 | $79,860 | $101,360 | $126,790 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $23.85 | $30.14 | $38.39 | $48.73 | $60.96 |
BLS estimated 617,500 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 49-1011 First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $77,310 | $60,660 to $97,290 | 11,870 | 1.06 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $75,880 | $60,290 to $94,160 | 5,610 | 0.98 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $74,590 | $58,880 to $93,070 | 5,760 | 1.03 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $76,450 | $63,130 to $95,140 | 3,120 | 1.06 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $97,560 | $77,210 to $125,700 | 24,570 | 0.65 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $97,560 | $77,210 to $125,700 | 24,570 | 0.65 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $78,740 | $60,980 to $99,250 | 19,530 | 1.21 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $85,420 | $71,260 to $107,460 | 11,630 | 0.65 |
Rank every metro for Lead Maintenance Technician
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels.
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$135,420
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$135,420
- Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills$118,300
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing$107,750
- Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing$106,990
- Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)$105,930
- Paper Manufacturing$105,240
- Motor Vehicle Manufacturing$104,100
- Chemical Manufacturing$102,400
- Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing$101,900
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing$100,530
- Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing$100,070
- Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing$99,140
- Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel$98,600
- Converted Paper Product Manufacturing$98,130
Bars show up to 15 industries with exact annual medians. The table lists every published industry.
| NAICS | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 63,900 | $77,980 | $94,490 | $108,590 |
| 311000 | Food Manufacturing | 12,540 | $76,550 | $88,570 | $101,220 |
| 336000 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 8,420 | $80,130 | $96,980 | $108,820 |
| 325000 | Chemical Manufacturing | 6,680 | $88,040 | $102,400 | $124,060 |
| 332000 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 5,290 | $73,360 | $84,770 | $101,200 |
| 333000 | Machinery Manufacturing | 4,880 | $75,690 | $93,470 | $107,030 |
| 3250A1 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 4,230 | $94,740 | $105,930 | $128,810 |
| 326000 | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 4,210 | $77,520 | $90,060 | $102,310 |
| 3330A1 | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 3,710 | $75,510 | $93,930 | $106,860 |
| 311600 | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 3,700 | $78,140 | $86,070 | $99,000 |
| 331000 | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 3,460 | $78,750 | $94,420 | $105,410 |
| 326100 | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 3,320 | $78,610 | $91,810 | $102,700 |
| 322000 | Paper Manufacturing | 3,130 | $88,340 | $105,240 | $125,860 |
| 336300 | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 2,700 | $80,210 | $95,040 | $102,810 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 2,310 | $76,800 | $93,680 | $107,030 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 2,310 | $76,800 | $93,680 | $107,030 |
| 336400 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 2,290 | $90,590 | $107,750 | $122,220 |
| 311800 | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 2,280 | $31,220 | $78,010 | $95,590 |
| 334000 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 2,260 | $78,570 | $100,530 | $122,040 |
| 3320A1 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 2,000 | $75,280 | $86,620 | $101,200 |
| 339000 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 1,930 | $67,910 | $82,090 | $100,360 |
| 3320A2 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 1,840 | $73,130 | $83,590 | $102,430 |
| 321000 | Wood Product Manufacturing | 1,730 | $70,340 | $87,300 | $103,050 |
| 322200 | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 1,730 | $80,560 | $98,130 | $115,990 |
| 335000 | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 1,720 | $78,190 | $87,510 | $104,840 |
| 312000 | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 1,700 | $80,460 | $95,150 | $103,720 |
| 312100 | Beverage Manufacturing | 1,640 | $80,380 | $95,150 | $103,640 |
| 311400 | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 1,610 | $78,950 | $92,220 | $103,340 |
| 324000 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 1,600 | $116,290 | $135,420 | $152,050 |
| 324100 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 1,600 | $116,290 | $135,420 | $152,050 |
| 325400 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 1,590 | $84,680 | $100,070 | $115,480 |
| 311900 | Other Food Manufacturing | 1,530 | $79,480 | $93,220 | $104,380 |
| 311500 | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 1,490 | $79,810 | $96,300 | $103,850 |
| 322100 | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 1,410 | $103,570 | $118,300 | $130,050 |
| 336100 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 1,390 | $94,020 | $104,100 | $118,570 |
| 339900 | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 1,190 | $62,390 | $77,670 | $92,200 |
| 336200 | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 1,060 | $56,660 | $76,310 | $91,830 |
| 331100 | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 990 | $71,090 | $93,980 | $106,360 |
| 334500 | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 960 | $82,310 | $101,900 | $121,400 |
| 335900 | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 920 | $81,270 | $92,330 | $104,840 |
| 332700 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 910 | $71,310 | $84,450 | $98,080 |
| 326200 | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 880 | $72,890 | $84,550 | $101,590 |
| 3250A2 | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 860 | $79,600 | $95,760 | $103,140 |
| 334400 | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 860 | $91,100 | $106,990 | $126,550 |
| 336600 | Ship and Boat Building | 770 | $74,230 | $85,730 | $97,790 |
| 337000 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 750 | $71,020 | $81,000 | $97,210 |
| 339100 | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 750 | $77,740 | $93,790 | $108,670 |
| 321900 | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 730 | $66,610 | $79,220 | $95,190 |
| 331500 | Foundries | 730 | $75,200 | $83,620 | $98,650 |
| 311200 | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 700 | $82,850 | $96,710 | $108,320 |
| 331400 | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 690 | $85,600 | $97,090 | $105,140 |
| 332710 | Machine Shops | 690 | $70,690 | $84,150 | $95,970 |
| 331300 | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 650 | $82,210 | $96,330 | $108,790 |
| 3370A1 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 650 | $70,350 | $80,060 | $95,750 |
| 321100 | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 610 | $73,790 | $97,360 | $105,210 |
| 311100 | Animal Food Manufacturing | 590 | $74,250 | $86,650 | $100,560 |
| 335300 | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 590 | $72,750 | $81,960 | $104,070 |
| 332800 | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 540 | $69,310 | $85,360 | $103,070 |
| 323000 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 490 | $74,520 | $87,180 | $102,500 |
| 323100 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 490 | $74,520 | $87,180 | $102,500 |
| 311300 | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 470 | $83,450 | $99,140 | $117,390 |
| 333300 | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 430 | $77,960 | $95,050 | $112,470 |
| 333500 | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 420 | $73,480 | $86,080 | $105,110 |
| 321200 | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 400 | $73,910 | $94,990 | $109,270 |
| 331200 | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 400 | $80,950 | $98,600 | $120,030 |
| 313000 | Textile Mills | 380 | $60,960 | $78,090 | $98,550 |
| 333600 | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 330 | $77,550 | $90,730 | $108,070 |
| 314000 | Textile Product Mills | 320 | $62,890 | $73,850 | $91,380 |
| 332720 | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 220 | $74,050 | $86,980 | $108,050 |
| 334200 | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 200 | $63,740 | $71,830 | $94,870 |
| 313200 | Fabric Mills | 190 | $69,100 | $82,320 | $103,310 |
| 314100 | Textile Furnishings Mills | 180 | $65,070 | $73,600 | $92,080 |
| 334100 | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 180 | $50,780 | $61,650 | $91,150 |
| 311700 | Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 170 | $76,730 | $87,500 | $114,520 |
| 335200 | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 150 | $80,110 | $82,100 | $94,170 |
| 314900 | Other Textile Product Mills | 140 | $58,590 | $76,200 | $89,560 |
| 313100 | Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills | 100 | $56,240 | $71,590 | $88,850 |
| 313300 | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | 100 | $53,820 | $77,070 | $97,970 |
| 337900 | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 100 | $76,080 | $94,400 | $108,570 |
| 312200 | Tobacco Manufacturing | 70 | $80,460 | $94,670 | $105,470 |
| 334300 | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 60 | $68,350 | $81,150 | $98,070 |
| 335100 | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 60 | $74,680 | $80,240 | $101,150 |
| 315000 | Apparel Manufacturing | 40 | $65,070 | $70,720 | $87,360 |
| 316000 | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 40 | $73,860 | $88,590 | $100,430 |
| 315200 | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 30 | $65,070 | $70,720 | $88,500 |
| 336500 | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | Not published by BLS | $78,490 | $89,940 | $112,510 |
| 336900 | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | Not published by BLS | $73,940 | $90,290 | $103,860 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Lead Maintenance Technician, clarify the base pay before discussing call-outs, travel or extra shifts. OEWS includes base rate, guaranteed pay and production incentive pay. It excludes overtime premium, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure.
Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $61,240 | $78,300 | $99,630 |
| May 2025 | $62,690 | $79,860 | $101,360 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
What should you know about supervisory and worker occupations?
BLS publishes these as separate occupations. Pay for one is not a pay step for the other.
- Worker occupation: Field Service Engineer pay (SOC 49-9041)
- Worker occupation: Millwright pay (SOC 49-9044)
- Worker occupation: PLC / Controls Technician pay (SOC 49-2094)
- Worker occupation: Industrial Refrigeration (Ammonia) Technician pay (SOC 49-9021)
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about an interview based on the work?
Build the interview around technical repair work and guidance for the maintenance crew. Those limits help establish working technical leadership rather than the supervisor's disciplinary authority; they are part of competence, not a weakness to talk around.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Lead Maintenance Technician?
The median annual wage for First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers in the United States was $79,860 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $62,690 and $101,360. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $49,600. 90% earned less than $126,790.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Lead Maintenance Technician at a plant?
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 617,500 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
The Lead Maintenance Technician role is mapped to the First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers (49-1011) SOC code, representing a broad national population of 617,500. This grouping does not isolate the lead technician, instead capturing a wide array of maintenance leadership roles. The national median is $79,860, showing a $1,560 increase over the May 2024 figure of $78,300.
The middle band width is $38,670, ranging from the P25 at $62,690 to the P75 at $101,360. Manufacturing Headhunters highlights that a Lead Maintenance Technician often acts as a critical technical resource, and compensation must account for the required troubleshooting expertise.
National industry medians reveal distinct pay differences across sectors. The Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing industry reports a median of $135,420, while the Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills industry reports $118,300. These are national averages and do not fluctuate based on local wage pressures. These figures do not include non-monetary pay components, such as tool allowances, specialized equipment certification bonuses, or overtime, which are key for the total take-home pay of a maintenance leader.
Regional metro comparisons help illustrate the range of compensation. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area shows a median of $97,560 with a middle band width of $48,490, while the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX area lists a median of $78,740 with a middle band width of $38,270. Location quotients of 0.65 in New York and 1.21 in Dallas reveal varying employment concentrations for these roles. Because the SOC code is broad, it is necessary to interpret these numbers with the understanding that they include all levels of maintenance supervision. Specialized technical leaders who bridge the gap between hourly technicians and management often fall near the top end of the band, reflecting their technical proficiency.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Is the $79,860 national median reflective of lead technician roles?
This median is pulled from a broad occupational group (49-1011). It serves as a starting point but may underrepresent highly skilled technicians in competitive manufacturing environments.
Do the industry medians provide a better benchmark?
The industry-specific medians for petroleum ($135,420) and paper mills ($118,300) are excellent benchmarks for high-complexity maintenance environments. They demonstrate how much these sectors value hands-on leadership.
How do I account for the P25 to P75 range?
The $38,670 width indicates significant variation in responsibilities. Use the higher end of the band for roles requiring deep technical expertise and mentorship of lower-level maintenance staff.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4