Industrial Maintenance Technician Jobs in Tucson, AZ
Industrial maintenance technicians keep Tucson's missile plant, copper mill and factory lines running. Raytheon has posted a union maintenance electrician job at $35.23 an hour to start, and Freeport-McMoRan's Sierrita mine near Green Valley pays repair employees $23 to $31. Current openings are below, followed by employers, pay and training.
Current Industrial Maintenance Openings in Tucson, AZ
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Industrial Maintenance Technician Work in Tucson
Tucson's maintenance jobs cluster in three places. Raytheon's missile campus on East Hermans Road, south of Tucson International Airport, needs electricians and mechanics for switchgear, machine tools, robotics and plant machinery, and its hourly maintenance staff work under a union contract. South on I-19, Freeport-McMoRan's Sierrita operation near Green Valley and Sahuarita runs crushers, conveyors and a mill around the clock, and Caterpillar's Tucson Proving Ground in Green Valley keeps its own facility and production equipment crew.
The third cluster is in town: manufacturers such as Rain Bird run automated assembly and molding lines that need electromechanical technicians who can read a schematic and edit a PLC program. Mine work means rotating shifts and outdoor heat; plant work means cleaner floors and, at the defense employers, a security clearance.
Top Tucson Employers for Industrial Maintenance Technicians
These Tucson-area employers hire maintenance technicians for plant and mine equipment:
- Raytheon - maintenance electricians and maintenance mechanics on the missile campus at 1151 E. Hermans Road; union jobs that require U.S. citizenship and a Secret clearance.
- Freeport-McMoRan Sierrita - crush and convey repair employees, electricians and mill diagnostic mechanics at the copper operation near Green Valley.
- Caterpillar - senior mechanical technicians for facility and production equipment at the Tucson Proving Ground in Green Valley.
- Rain Bird - electromechanic technicians who set up, maintain and program automated assembly and packaging machines at its Tucson plant.
Industrial Maintenance Technician Salaries in Tucson
- Entry level (1-3 years): roughly $22 to $27 an hour.
- Experienced (3-6 years, electrical and mechanical troubleshooting): roughly $27 to $35 an hour.
- Senior or journeyman-level (controls, high voltage, lead roles): roughly $35 to $42 an hour.
These are estimates that vary by employer and experience. Recent Tucson postings set the range: Freeport-McMoRan listed $23 to $31 an hour for a Sierrita crush and convey repair employee, Raytheon posted $27 for a maintenance mechanic and $35.23 to start for a journeyman maintenance electrician, and Caterpillar listed $26 to $39 for a senior facilities technician. Electrical skill, PLC troubleshooting and a clearance move pay most.
How to Become an Industrial Maintenance Technician in Tucson
Arizona has no license for in-plant maintenance technicians. The Arizona Registrar of Contractors licenses contractors, which applies when work is done for customers rather than on an employer's own equipment. Employers screen on experience instead: Raytheon's maintenance electrician posting asks for five years at journeyman level or a completed apprenticeship, and Freeport-McMoRan asks for a year of crush and convey or industrial repair experience plus a written skills and safety test.
The local classroom route is Pima Community College's Automated Industrial Technology Level I Certificate, one semester full time at the Downtown Campus, covering motor controls, electronic systems and troubleshooting, with a path to Level II and an associate degree. Rain Bird's electromechanic posting asks for an associate degree in electromechanical technology. Defense employers require U.S. citizenship, and mine sites require federal MSHA safety training.
What the Job Involves
Part of every week is planned work: preventive maintenance routes, lubrication, filter changes, bearing and belt replacement and rebuilds during shutdowns. The rest is breakdowns. You trace an electrical fault through a schematic, check a pneumatic circuit, swap a sensor, adjust a PLC setting and get the line back up, then write up the work order. Lockout tagout is part of every repair.
Skills Employers Look For
- Electrical troubleshooting on motors, drives, relays and control circuits
- Mechanical repair: bearings, gearboxes, pumps, conveyors and alignment
- Reading electrical, pneumatic and mechanical drawings
- PLC and HMI basics, including Allen-Bradley controls
- Welding and fabrication for repairs
- Lockout tagout, rigging and work at heights
- Willingness to work rotating, overnight or on-call shifts
Career Path and Advancement
In Tucson the ladder usually starts with a repair employee or entry maintenance job, often after time as a machine operator or a military maintainer at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. From there it runs to journeyman electrician or mechanic, then senior or controls technician, then maintenance planner or supervisor. Freeport-McMoRan's mine maintenance and Raytheon's union shop both have defined steps, and technicians who add PLC skills move between plant and mine work.
Related Careers in Tucson
These Tucson guides cover the closest alternatives for maintenance technicians:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be an industrial maintenance technician in Arizona?
No. Arizona does not license technicians who maintain their own employer's equipment. The Arizona Registrar of Contractors licenses contracting work for customers, and some employers ask for a completed electrical apprenticeship for maintenance electrician roles.
How much do industrial maintenance technicians make in Tucson?
Recent postings run from about $23 an hour at the low end of Freeport-McMoRan's Sierrita repair range to $35.23 to start for a Raytheon journeyman maintenance electrician, with Caterpillar listing up to $39. Most experienced technicians fall between $27 and $35 an hour. These are estimates that vary by employer and experience.
Which Tucson employers hire the most maintenance technicians?
Raytheon on East Hermans Road and Freeport-McMoRan's Sierrita operation near Green Valley post the most plant and mine maintenance work. Caterpillar's Tucson Proving Ground and manufacturers such as Rain Bird also hire technicians for facility and production equipment.
Do Tucson maintenance technicians work nights and weekends?
Often. Sierrita is a 24/7 operation with rotating shifts, and Raytheon's maintenance postings ask for availability on any shift, including overnight. Caterpillar's Proving Ground role posted a 9/80 schedule.
Where can I train for industrial maintenance in Tucson?
Pima Community College's Automated Industrial Technology Level I Certificate at the Downtown Campus takes one semester full time and leads to a Level II certificate and an associate degree. Many technicians also come from Davis-Monthan maintenance jobs or move up from machine operator roles.
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