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Blue industrial equipment

Compressed Air and Vacuum Technician

Installing and serving compressed air and vacuum equipment in a huge range of sectors from factories to hospitals

How this role makes a difference

If air is kept at a pressure that is greater than normal air pressure (atmospheric), it is defined as compressed air. If it is kept at a pressure that is less than normal air pressure, it is defined as a vacuum. Compressed air and vacuums are used in a range of products and services including power tools, cleaning systems, gas generation, and air cylinders that enable automation.

Technicians support the effective operations of these tools and systems, by diagnosing faults, repairing equipment, and carrying out maintenance to ensure optimum efficiency. A wide range of industries need this support, including manufacturing, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, power stations, hospitals, and transportation. You could be the technician who carries out specialist repairs and installations to keep operations running smoothly.

Compressed air cylinder

The kind of work you’ll do

  • Installing and servicing equipment
  • Diagnosing faults and completing repairs
  • Monitoring processes and energy performance
  • Adjusting controls to ensure equipment is operating at optimum efficiency
  • Providing technical advice to customers
  • Planning and organising work to meet customers’ priorities and schedules
  • Producing job reports and maintaining stock control records
Useful skills
Logical thinking
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Attention to detail
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Instructing others
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Communicating complex ideas
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Precise
Skills & attributes

What you can bring to the role

A fascination for understanding how things work.

An aptitude for understanding mechanical equipment.

The natural ability to think about a problem logically, consider different solutions, and find the best way forward.

The ability to focus on your work and carry out tasks accurately.

An organised way of working and good time management skills.

A knack for helping other people to understand technical problems and solutions.

Attention to detail when you’re producing reports and documentation.

This role could also be right for you if you have any of the following interests:

- science

- building, making and fixing things

- exploring problems and finding answers

£ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 , 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Average salary per year *
£ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 , 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Average salary per month *

Data powered by LMI for all
*according to ONS

Future career opportunities

You could begin your career working in a specialist engineering services business, where you’ll provide technical support to a range of customers. 

Alternatively, many industrial businesses have their own technicians to provide continuous technical advice and services. You could progress to being a team leader, running a group of engineers and training other people.

How to get into this role

There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job.

But if you’re interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:  

Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.

A little more about the role

Exciting features...

The latest examples of compressed air and vacuum equipment are highly innovative, using information technology (IT) control systems and internet connectivity to ensure cutting edge efficiency. Automation is also rapidly expanding, particularly in industrial environments, with air cylinders helping to create force and different directions of motion. There are many great opportunities to be involved in exciting innovation.

Other job titles...

This role can also be known by some other job titles including:

Air Treatment Engineer
Air Treatment Technician
Commissioning Engineer
Electrical Engineer
Electrical Technician
Installation Engineer
Mechanical Engineer
Pressure Systems Competent Person
Product Support Engineer
Service Engineer
Service Technician

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Compressed Air and Vacuum Technician

Ben Hool
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