How to Become a Maintenance Technician in Delaware

If some type of machinery or mechanical system is involved, you will likely need the services of a maintenance technician.

They can be found in homes, in businesses, on construction sites, and anywhere else that requires regular maintenance on equipment – even on ships on the ocean.

Do you think you might be interested in this versatile occupation?

Read on to see.

Steps to Becoming a Maintenance Technician in Delaware

1. Get a Diploma

You will need at least your high school diploma or a GED.

Show a skill in science and math, and the ability to reason.

2. Take a Vocational Program

Vocational schools regularly offer training in HVAC, electrical maintenance, or industrial maintenance.

3. Get an Associate’s Degree

Earning an Associate’s degree in either industrial maintenance or mechatronics will open up more opportunities.

4. Gain Experience

Apply for on-the-job training or an apprenticeship program to gain hands-on experience.

5. Get Safety Certificates from OSHA

These certificates are often a requirement regardless of where you work.

6. Get Specialization Certificates

Handling refrigerants, doing plumbing, or working with electrical components requires specialized certificates to demonstrate your knowledge of these subjects.

7. Get any Needed Equipment Handling Certificates

If your desired position requires specialized vehicles, such as a forklift or aerial lift, you will need a certificate.

8. Join a Professional Organization

Joining a professional organization will allow you to network.

9. Specialize if Desired

If you are particularly drawn to just one area of maintenance, you can specialize.

This will also allow you to ask for a higher wage.

10. Continued Education

Things change rapidly, and you will want to make it a practice to keep up-to-date on all these changes.

Licensing Requirements for Maintenance Technicians in Delaware

Delaware does not have any licensing requirements specifically for maintenance technicians.

If you specialize, however, you may need to get a special license in that area.

This includes things like electrical, HVAC, and plumbing work.

In addition, if you own a business, you will need a business license and insurance that is connected to it.

You may also need to be bonded if your work includes entering people’s personal residences.

You may even consider airplane maintenance.

Maintenance technician programs in Delaware

Polytech Adult Education

This program is an Industrial Maintenance Mechanic program.

The cost of the entire program is $2493, and you complete 604 hours over the course of four years.

At the end of 8 courses and the included apprenticeship program of 8000 hours, you will be eligible to gain Journeyman status.

Courses you will study include:  Hydraulics and Pneumatics, Industrial Electricity and Electrical Safety, Mechanics and Equipment, Piping Systems and Machining Fundamentals, Basic Welding, Maintenance Fundamentals, and Introduction to Mechanics.

Delaware Valley University

The Maintenance Technician program at this school takes 250 hours and costs $1695.

Throughout the course, you will learn subjects such as:

• Troubleshooting
• Sig Sigma, 5S, Lean, and TPM
• Inspection Methods
• PLC Equipment and Communication
• Electrical, Mechanical, and Fluid Systems
• Robot Maintenance and Installation
• Fabricating and Assembly Processes
• Workholding Principles

Delaware Technical Community College

Delaware Technical Community College offers a unique program in Aviation Maintenance Technology.

This is a degree program that sees graduates earning an Associate’s degree over five semesters.

During that time, you will complete 95 credits.

The cost of this program is based on where the student is from.

Delaware residents pay $152.50 per credit hour, and out-of-state students pay $381.25 per credit.

This is a time when the added cost of coming from out of state might be worth it, as this program is not one you find very often.

Classes you will cover include Airframe Maintenance (from general to very advanced), Basic Electricity for Aviation, Quantitative Reasoning, Powerplant Maintenance, Composition, and General Psychology.

You will be well-qualified to work on aircraft when you have completed this intense program.

How Much Does a Maintenance Technician in Delaware Make?

Delaware maintenance technicians make more money than those in most other states.

The average salary of a maintenance technician in Delaware is $90,248 annually.

That is $43 an hour.

Overall, salaries run from a starting salary of $29,878 to a high salary of $108,720 a year.

The amount of money a maintenance technician makes is affected by where they work, such as residential or industrial, how much experience they have, whether they work for an organization or independently, and whether or not they are a general maintenance technician or specialist.

Salary by Metro Area in Delaware

Maintenance Technician by State