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My company is currently drafting a role for a Reliability Technician. I'm curious about the typical pay range for this position compared to other maintenance roles. For instance, would the salary be similar to that of a Senior Mechanic or Electrician? How does it compare to a Planner or Scheduler? Any insights or input would be greatly appreciated. The summary of the role: Responsible for creating and supporting the execution of preventive and predictive maintenance plans to ensure equipment/facility reliability. This role involves working closely with operations and maintenance teams to implement asset care strategies based on RCM and FMEA, as well as identifying required training and new technologies to enhance OEE. Reporting to either the Reliability Engineer. The technician plays a key role in continuous improvement initiatives aimed at increasing throughput, lowering costs, and boosting product quality and safety

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Jon Salomon
Reliability Mgr
Pharmavite, LLC
San Fernando CA
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I've seen the pay scale work multiple ways. In a couple of places the reliability technician was the same pay rate as the rest of the mechanics, so the attraction was that he received specialized training and an easier, more prestigious job. The drawback of this arrangement is that, after all the expense and effort of training, the technician may decide he feels like going back to a maintenance role. There is no financial incentive to stay. (In one case the technician actually missed out on a $10,000 shift premium to be in the reliability group.)

In another place, the reliability technician is a job grade above the highest shop job grade. This makes it clear that it is a step up, attracts the best talent, and incentivizes people to stay put. 

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Dale Nicholson, PE, CMRP, CRL
Reliability Engineering Mgr
Evonik Corp
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Dale, Thank you for sharing your insights on the pay scale for reliability technicians. Your observations about the various ways this system has been implemented are very enlightening. I shared some of this with our compensation team. 

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Jon Salomon
Reliability Mgr
Pharmavite, LLC
San Fernando CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-01-2024 07:15 AM
From: Dale Nicholson
Subject: Reliability Technician Role - Market Salary

I've seen the pay scale work multiple ways. In a couple of places the reliability technician was the same pay rate as the rest of the mechanics, so the attraction was that he received specialized training and an easier, more prestigious job. The drawback of this arrangement is that, after all the expense and effort of training, the technician may decide he feels like going back to a maintenance role. There is no financial incentive to stay. (In one case the technician actually missed out on a $10,000 shift premium to be in the reliability group.)

In another place, the reliability technician is a job grade above the highest shop job grade. This makes it clear that it is a step up, attracts the best talent, and incentivizes people to stay put. 

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Dale Nicholson, PE, CMRP, CRL
Reliability Engineering Mgr
Evonik Corp
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I've seen the pay scale from same as top maintenance tech pay to the highest paid maintenance hourly rate.  I've seen it at the same rate as an hourly planner as well.  I've also seen it made a salary job which was at a lower end reliability engineer rate.

What sets the pay rate and the real question is what is the scope of the role?  Reliability technician really doesn't mean the same for every company.  For some it is a lube tech with some reliability duties maybe including looking over a condition monitoring system.  Maybe they oversee basic care or PM systems?  For others it may be a first tier reliability engineer type role reporting to a reliability manager or reliability engineer executing classic reliability elements.

IMO industry and the reliability filed has not done a good job defining reliability roles.  Years ago when I was on the job market, every company I interviewed with had reliability engineer and manager jobs but no one could really define the roles.  If they did, much of it had nothing to do with reliability.  

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Randy Riddell, CMRP, PSAP, CLS
Reliability Manager
Essity
Cherokee AL
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Randy,  Thank you for your detailed email regarding the variability in pay scales and the scope of reliability technician roles across different companies. Your observations resonate with many of the inconsistencies I've encountered in the industry as well.

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Jon Salomon
Reliability Mgr
Pharmavite, LLC
San Fernando CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-01-2024 08:34 AM
From: Randy Riddell
Subject: Reliability Technician Role - Market Salary

I've seen the pay scale from same as top maintenance tech pay to the highest paid maintenance hourly rate.  I've seen it at the same rate as an hourly planner as well.  I've also seen it made a salary job which was at a lower end reliability engineer rate.

What sets the pay rate and the real question is what is the scope of the role?  Reliability technician really doesn't mean the same for every company.  For some it is a lube tech with some reliability duties maybe including looking over a condition monitoring system.  Maybe they oversee basic care or PM systems?  For others it may be a first tier reliability engineer type role reporting to a reliability manager or reliability engineer executing classic reliability elements.

IMO industry and the reliability filed has not done a good job defining reliability roles.  Years ago when I was on the job market, every company I interviewed with had reliability engineer and manager jobs but no one could really define the roles.  If they did, much of it had nothing to do with reliability.  

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Randy Riddell, CMRP, PSAP, CLS
Reliability Manager
Essity
Cherokee AL
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Hi there Jon,

Based on what you have listed for responsibilities, I would think this person may need to be at least a dual-trade journeyman with some significant experience in maintaining many types of equipment. This in conjunction with some additional Asset and Maintenance Management, Asset Strategy Development/RCM/FMEA world as offered by SMRP or PEMAC would also be beneficial.

Depending on whether your company has salary pay bands or hourly rates, I feel this combination of experience, skills, and aptitude warrant a pay scale of a Maintenance Lead or equivalent. Leadership roles are normally very few, and those individuals with the skills to attain them can stagnate without options; this will give another avenue of Reliability to aspire to and keep them growing. It's what I've seen anyways and it has worked very well.

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Dwayne Opp
Reliability Maintenance Lead, PETRONAS Canada
Petronas Canada
Calgary AB
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Dwayne, I appreciate you taking the time to reply. Your feedback is valuable; it aligns with many of my own ideas and offers new perspectives on how we can integrate this role into our team.  

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Jon Salomon
Reliability Mgr
Pharmavite, LLC
San Fernando CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-08-2024 01:21 PM
From: Dwayne Opp
Subject: Reliability Technician Role - Market Salary

Hi there Jon,

Based on what you have listed for responsibilities, I would think this person may need to be at least a dual-trade journeyman with some significant experience in maintaining many types of equipment. This in conjunction with some additional Asset and Maintenance Management, Asset Strategy Development/RCM/FMEA world as offered by SMRP or PEMAC would also be beneficial.

Depending on whether your company has salary pay bands or hourly rates, I feel this combination of experience, skills, and aptitude warrant a pay scale of a Maintenance Lead or equivalent. Leadership roles are normally very few, and those individuals with the skills to attain them can stagnate without options; this will give another avenue of Reliability to aspire to and keep them growing. It's what I've seen anyways and it has worked very well.

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Dwayne Opp
Reliability Maintenance Lead, PETRONAS Canada
Petronas Canada
Calgary AB
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