What Does a Maintenance Planner Do? (Pay, Duties & Skills)

Behind every well-maintained machine, efficient workflow and smoothly running facility is a maintenance planner quietly orchestrating the chaos. But what does a maintenance planner actually do? What skills do they bring to the table? And why is this role so crucial to a company’s success?

In this guide, we dive into the ins and outs of this critical maintenance job role — from key responsibilities and essential skills to the perks and payoffs of stepping into the crucial role of a maintenance planner.

Whether you’re considering this career path or just curious about what makes these professionals indispensable, get ready to see how maintenance planners keep operations running like a well-oiled machine (literally).

What Is a Maintenance Planner?

A maintenance planner organizes and plans maintenance activities such as repairs, inspections and overhauls. They create detailed schedules for maintenance tasks, allocate resources (like tools, parts and personnel) and anticipate potential roadblocks to getting maintenance work done. They’re the bridge between the maintenance department and other departments and are in charge of keeping everyone on the same page.

Let’s say you run a manufacturing plant with 10 machines. A maintenance planner might notice that a critical production line motor has had frequent issues. Instead of waiting for the motor to fail (which leads to emergency work and costly equipment downtime), the planner schedules a preventive maintenance check during a planned production halt, arranges spare parts in advance and assigns a qualified maintenance technician to complete the job.

This is how maintenance planners keep the wheels of your operations turning and ensure the downtime drama stays firmly in the rearview mirror.

What Duties Does a Maintenance Planner Perform?

A maintenance planner’s duties revolve around one goal: ensuring maintenance activities happen seamlessly, on time and with minimal disruption. While a maintenance supervisor oversees a team of technicians and manages day-to-day operations, a maintenance planner focuses on the strategy behind the maintenance tasks. They’re oftentimes seen working in the manufacturing industry and are regarded as the architects of order in a facility. 

Here’s what they do on a day-to-day basis:

• Create and schedule maintenance job plans: Maintenance planners develop maintenance schedules — whether they’re preventive, predictive or corrective — to ensure every piece of equipment gets the attention or upgrade it needs without disrupting operations.
• Create work orders: The planner role can involve reviewing work requests and creating detailed work orders that outline what needs to be done, who’s doing it and what tools and materials are required.
• Coordinate with maintenance teams and contractors: Maintenance planners are the glue that holds the in-house team and external contractors together. They ensure everyone’s aligned on schedules, resources and expectations to avoid a major maintenance backlog.
• Maintain parts inventory: Maintenance planners manage parts inventory, ensuring critical spares are always on hand. This proactive approach reduces delays, keeps costs under control and prevents extended downtime.
• Create procedural documents: Planners create standard operating procedures (SOPs) and task-specific instructions to guide teams. These documents improve efficiency, reduce errors and help train new staff faster.
• Analyze equipment data: Planners analyze equipment performance metrics, maintenance history and failure trends to identify patterns and opportunities for improvements. This allows you to shift the focus from reactive fixes to strategic, proactive maintenance.

Skills Required to Become a Maintenance Planner

Becoming a great maintenance planner requires a mix of technical know-how and interpersonal skills to keep maintenance operations running smoothly and efficiently. Here are some skills you’ll find valuable if you want to take on a maintenance planner job:

• General technical knowledge: A solid understanding of machinery, equipment and maintenance practices is non-negotiable if you want to become a planner. You don’t have to be the one wielding the wrench, but you should know how assets work, common failure points and maintenance best practices.
• Problem-solving skills: Breakdowns happen, surprises crop up and priorities shift — and maintenance planners keep the wheels turning. Strong problem-solving skills allow them to quickly assess situations, develop contingency plans and ensure operations resume with minimal disruption.
• Solution-focused and resourceful: When parts are delayed, tools are missing or schedules clash, the planner finds creative solutions to keep tasks on track. This might require sourcing parts from alternative suppliers, reassigning teams or adjusting timelines without sacrificing quality.
• Communicative and collaborative: Planners are the hub of communication between technicians, contractors and other departments. Having good communication skills ensures everyone knows their role and expectations, and collaboration fosters trust and ensures alignment across all stakeholders.
• Time management capabilities: Maintenance planners need to prioritize tasks, optimize schedules and ensure resources are used efficiently. Strong time management skills allow them to balance urgent fixes with routine maintenance while keeping long-term goals in focus.

Whatʼs the Pay for a Maintenance Planner?

The pay for a maintenance planner differs based on industry and years of experience, but here are some general figures:

• According to Salary.com: The median salary of a maintenance planner is $73,333/year or $35/hour.
• According to Glassdoor: The median total pay is $94,000/year.
• According to Indeed: The average base salary is $84,432/year or $35.61/hour.

Benefits of Becoming a Maintenance Planner

Becoming a maintenance planner is about more than earning a steady paycheck (though that’s a big plus). It’s a role that comes with various professional and personal benefits that make it an incredibly rewarding career.

Here’s an overview of the benefits you can expect to be part of the job description:

• Job stability and demand: Maintenance planners are in high demand across industries like manufacturing, energy, healthcare and transportation. As long as machines and equipment exist, businesses will need skilled planners to keep them running. That kind of job security is hard to beat.
• Competitive pay: With salaries often ranging between $70,000 and $100,000 a year, depending on experience and industry, maintenance planning offers a great return on your expertise and effort.
• Diverse career opportunities: You’re not locked into one industry. Whether you’re drawn to aerospace, automotive, pharmaceuticals or even hospitality, your skills as a planner can transfer across various fields. This opens doors to new challenges and experiences.
• A mix of strategy and hands-on work: If you like solving problems, sorting through chaos and making things work better, maintenance planning and scheduling offers the perfect balance. It combines technical knowledge with strategic planning, so you’re always learning something new about your area of work.
• Professional growth: The role sharpens valuable skills like project management, communication and problem-solving — skills that are highly sought after in leadership positions. Many planners grow into roles like maintenance manager, reliability engineer or even operations manager.
• Real impact on operations: As a maintenance planner, your work directly contributes to reducing downtime, saving costs and improving efficiency. It’s easy to see the tangible results of your efforts, which is incredibly satisfying.
• Work-life balance: Unlike some hands-on maintenance roles, planners often work standard office hours with limited need for emergency callouts. This makes it easier to maintain a healthier work-life balance.

How CMMS Software Helps Maintenance Planners

Of course, today’s maintenance planner has many tools available to keep operations running smoothly and maintenance costs down. Enter the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). Quality CMMS software allows you to track assets, spare parts, work orders and maintenance work on the go from a mobile device.

Check out Coast’s CMMS to understand the minimal computer skills required to completely revamp your maintenance approach.