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Machinery Maintenance Technician

Skilled Trades

Lubricate machinery, change parts, or perform other routine machinery maintenance.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Mechanical Engineering

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Dismantle machines and remove parts for repair, using hand tools, chain falls, jacks, cranes, or hoists.
  2. 2Reassemble machines after the completion of repair or maintenance work.
  3. 3Record production, repair, and machine maintenance information.
  4. 4Lubricate or apply adhesives or other materials to machines, machine parts, or other equipment according to specified procedures.
  5. 5Install, replace, or change machine parts and attachments, according to production specifications.
  6. 6Set up and operate machines, and adjust controls to regulate operations.
  7. 7Collaborate with other workers to repair or move machines, machine parts, or equipment.
  8. 8Read work orders and specifications to determine machines and equipment requiring repair or maintenance.
  9. 9Inspect or test damaged machine parts, and mark defective areas or advise supervisors of repair needs.
  10. 10Start machines and observe mechanical operation to determine efficiency and to detect problems.
  11. 11Transport machine parts, tools, equipment, and other material between work areas and storage, using cranes, hoists, or dollies.
  12. 12Collect and discard worn machine parts and other refuse to maintain machinery and work areas.
  13. 13Inventory and requisition machine parts, equipment, and other supplies so that stock can be maintained and replenished.
  14. 14Remove hardened material from machines or machine parts, using abrasives, power and hand tools, jackhammers, sledgehammers, or other equipment.
  15. 15Replace, empty, or replenish machine and equipment containers such as gas tanks or boxes.
  16. 16Clean machines and machine parts, using cleaning solvents, cloths, air guns, hoses, vacuums, or other equipment.
  17. 17Replace or repair metal, wood, leather, glass, or other lining in machines, or in equipment compartments or containers.
  18. 18Measure, mix, prepare, and test chemical solutions used to clean or repair machinery and equipment.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Doper
  • Oiler
  • Dopeman
  • Greaser
  • Hot Man
  • Shafter
  • Salvager
  • Shuttler
  • Car Oiler
  • Craftsman

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationPost-secondary certificate

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

Mechanical Engineering StudiesDraws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
PhysicsDraws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Design & Technology (RBT)Draws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BusinessDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Mechanical91%

    Mechanical Engineering StudiesPhysicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Production and Processing67%

    Design & Technology (RBT)Mechanical Engineering Studies

  • Administration and Management65%

    BusinessEconomics

  • English Language61%

    English

  • Design61%

    Visual Art (PSV)Technical Comm. GraphicsEngineering Drawing

  • Education and Training60%

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleContact most of the time
  • Dealing with customers or the publicNot at all
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentEvery day
  • Time spent sittingA little
  • Time spent standingMost of the time

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

  • Troubleshoot electrical, hydraulic, or mechanical equipment and machines.

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

11%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Matriculation

One or two years, heavily subsidised with allowance. Competitive, quota-based entry.

12–24 months

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Maintenance Workers, Machinery

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org