How to Become a Maintenance Technician in Nevada

Nevada’s booming industries, from hospitality to mining, depend on skilled maintenance technicians to keep operations running smoothly.

Plus, the Silver State still has one of the fastest-growing populations in the country.

If you’re handy with tools, curious about how systems work, and enjoy solving problems, this career can offer steady work and competitive pay.

Whether you’re headed for the northern shore of Lake Tahoe or the lights of Las Vegas, here’s what you need to know about training, licensing, and opportunities to start your path as a maintenance technician in Nevada.

Steps to Become a Maintenance Technician in Nevada

1. Decide your lane. Apartment maintenance, hotels and casinos, mining, or manufacturing each favors different skills in Nevada.
2. Get the basics. Finish high school or GED, brush up on algebra, hand tools, and safety. Complete OSHA-10 General Industry. Those who want to get ahead of the crowd can look for chances to enroll in college while still finishing high school.
3. Start training. Look for maintenance tech or industrial maintenance certificates, or associate degrees at colleges statewide. Focus on core credentials and then specialty categories if you know what angle you wish to pursue. For example, Mining often wants MSHA Part 46 or 48. Facilities roles may want pool operator or boiler certification.
4. Build hands-on hours. Take entry roles, internships, or apprenticeships in electrical, HVAC, or plumbing to log supervised work. These early career opportunities can pay off big time down the road.
5. Learn systems. Get comfortable with CMMS software, lockout/tagout, schematics, VFDs, and basic PLC troubleshooting. It helps to look through job postings in the field you wish to enter to see what requirements and programs are needed.
6. Assemble your tool kit. While some jobs might supply basic equipment and tools for your job, don’t count on it. Start gathering tools like a quality multimeter, hand tools, PPE, and a small HVAC and plumbing setup, as your employer allows.
7. Understand the tiers of maintenance technician jobs. This is especially important if you’re looking for a government job, since the state of Nevada breaks the Maintenance Repair Worker job into four tiers. Tier I is the lowest, and Tier IV is the highest.

Licensing Requirements to Become a Maintenance Technician in Nevada

Nevada, like most states, doesn’t require a general license for maintenance technicians.

But the topic isn’t as clear-cut as that might sound.

For general maintenance tasks under $1,000 that do not involve plumbing, electrical, HVAC, or refrigeration and do not require a building permit, no license is typically required.

For tasks beyond this scope, different contractor licenses are available:

• Class A – General Engineering Contractor
• Class B – General Building Contractor
• Class AB – Combination of A and B
• Class C – Specialty Contractor (includes various subclassifications for specific trades)

However, license requirements become stricter as you look into fields like HVAC, electrical, or plumbing.

Maintenance Technician Programs in Nevada

Nevada is one of the states we’ve researched that has general maintenance tech training programs.

This can help if you’re unsure which path you’d like to pursue but still want to start learning basic skills.

Nevada State University/Truckee Meadows Community College

The Maintenance Technician Training Course at Nevada State University and TMCC is a go-at-your-own-pace program that runs 250 course hours for 18 months.

As a bonus, tools are included in the training.

Courses cover a wide range of topics, including:

• Equipment maintenance
• Electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic systems
• Industrial robotics
• Automation systems

The program costs $3,095, with the tools being yours to keep after you’ve completed the program.

You should also know that the same course is offered without tools for $1,695.

While NSU and TMCC are at opposite ends of the state, the programs are identical, with training being done virtually.

It’s also worth noting that you might find this program at other colleges across Nevada, under the ed2go program listing.

Technical Training Academy

If you’re looking for niche education for topics like wind turbine technician or battery storage technician, look for the certificate programs at the Technical Training Academy in Las Vegas.

These generally last about four weeks and are done in person with hands-on guidance.

In case you didn’t know, wind turbine service technicians take the top spot in the fastest-growing jobs, as detailed in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest report.

We also recommend checking out the Career Advancing Certifications, which include general industry, construction, and OSHA training.

Aviation Institute of Maintenance

Have your career eyes on the skies? Check out the Aviation Institute of Maintenance A.A.S. or A.O.S. degree in Aviation Maintenance Technology.

In less than two years, you’ll earn a degree that also gets you one step closer to an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) Mechanic.

Expect the aviation program to cost around $4,500 a year.

Salary

We look to Salary.com to give us maintenance technician salary estimates in Nevada.

Keep in mind that Nevada doesn’t have a state income tax, meaning you’ll take home more money than if you were in neighboring California, Utah, or Arizona.

In Las Vegas, the salary range is $48,900 to $73,400, with the median just below $60,000.

Up in Northern Nevada, Reno’s maintenance technician salary range is from $50,000 to $74,000.

The median salary there is $60,600.

Regional Salary in Nevada

Maintenance Technician by State