Footwear maintenance technician
About this occupation
Footwear maintenance technicians are the professionals who install, program and tune different types of cutting, stitching, assembling and finishing equipment used in footwear production. They perform preventive and corrective maintenance, and verify periodically working conditions and performance. They analyse faults, correct problems, repair and substitute components or pieces, and do routine lubrications, providing information on their use and energetic consumption mainly to the decision makers inside the company.
A specialisation of footwear production machine operator.
Essential skills and knowledge
- use IT tools
- footwear quality
- health and safety regulations
- exert a goal-oriented leadership role towards colleagues
- footwear manufacturing technology
- footwear machinery
- maintenance of footwear manufacturing machines
- make technical drawings of fashion pieces
- work in textile manufacturing teams
- footwear equipments
- create solutions to problems
- maintain footwear assembling equipment
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Industrial Machinery Mechanics (O*NET 49-9041.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Repair or maintain the operating condition of industrial production or processing machinery or equipment.
- Repair or replace broken or malfunctioning components of machinery or equipment.
- Clean, lubricate, or adjust parts, equipment, or machinery.
- Disassemble machinery or equipment to remove parts and make repairs.
- Reassemble equipment after completion of inspections, testing, or repairs.
- Examine parts for defects, such as breakage or excessive wear.
- Typical education (US)
- Post-Secondary Certificate
- Preparation
- Job Zone 3 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Investigative
Top skills: Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Equipment Maintenance, Troubleshooting, Repairing, Quality Control Analysis
US median pay: US$64,520 a year (2025), 439,640 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- MetalworkO*NET: MechanicalVery important (4.3)
- English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageVery important (3.5)
- Design and TechnologyO*NET: Design + Engineering and TechnologyImportant (3.3)
- Technical DrawingO*NET: DesignImportant (3.3)
- Mathematics or StatisticsO*NET: MathematicsImportant (3.1)
- Computer StudiesO*NET: Computers and ElectronicsImportant (3.0)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- Post-Secondary Certificate
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
- Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Maintenance Workers, Machinery
- Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines
- Engine and Other Machine Assemblers
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door
- Millwrights
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.