Maintenance Supervisor Salary in Sri Lanka 2026
Complete salary guide for maintenance supervisors and foremen
Quick Answer
Maintenance Supervisors in Sri Lanka earn LKR 80,000-130,000 monthly. Foremen earn LKR 65,000-95,000. Lead Technicians: LKR 70,000-100,000. Industry leaders: Pharma, oil/gas pay LKR 100,000-150,000. Manage teams of 5-20 technicians. Shift allowance LKR 10K-30K/month. Performance bonus LKR 50K-150K annually. Technical diploma + experience essential. Path to Maintenance Manager: LKR 150,000-250,000.
Salary by Role
| Role | Team Size | Monthly (LKR) |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance Foreman | 5-10 technicians | 65,000 - 95,000 |
| Lead Technician | 3-8 technicians | 70,000 - 100,000 |
| Maintenance Supervisor | 8-20 technicians | 80,000 - 130,000 |
| Senior Supervisor | 15-25 technicians | 100,000 - 150,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the salary of a maintenance supervisor in Sri Lanka?
Maintenance Supervisors in Sri Lanka earn LKR 80,000-130,000 monthly. Maintenance Foreman: LKR 65,000-95,000. Lead Technician: LKR 70,000-100,000. Maintenance Supervisor: LKR 80,000-130,000. Senior Maintenance Supervisor: LKR 100,000-150,000. Supervisors manage teams of 5-20 technicians and tradespeople, coordinate daily maintenance activities, schedule preventive maintenance, handle breakdowns, ensure safety compliance, manage spares inventory. Manufacturing supervisors: LKR 90,000-140,000. Hotel supervisors: LKR 70,000-110,000. Hospital supervisors: LKR 80,000-120,000. Experience: 5-10 years maintenance + leadership training. Shift work supervision common. Performance bonus: LKR 50,000-150,000 annual.
How much does a maintenance foreman earn?
Maintenance Foremen earn LKR 65,000-95,000 monthly. Manufacturing foreman: LKR 70,000-100,000. Factory foreman: LKR 65,000-95,000. Electrical foreman: LKR 75,000-105,000. Mechanical foreman: LKR 70,000-100,000. Building foreman: LKR 60,000-85,000. Role: Direct supervision of maintenance crew, assignment of tasks, quality checks, safety enforcement, reporting to supervisor/manager. Hands-on leader working alongside team. Foreman to supervisor promotion common: +15-20% salary increase. Shift foreman roles: LKR 75,000-105,000. Construction site maintenance foreman: LKR 70,000-110,000. Experience: 5-8 years trade skills + leadership ability.
What is the salary for a lead maintenance technician?
Lead Maintenance Technicians earn LKR 70,000-100,000 monthly. Lead technician: LKR 70,000-95,000. Senior lead technician: LKR 85,000-115,000. Technical lead: LKR 90,000-120,000. Role: Senior technician who guides team, handles complex troubleshooting, mentors junior technicians, but without full supervisory duties. Hands-on technical expert. Manufacturing lead: LKR 75,000-105,000. Hotel lead: LKR 65,000-90,000. Industrial lead: LKR 80,000-110,000. Path: Lead Technician -> Foreman -> Supervisor. Experience: 5-10 years with demonstrated technical mastery. Some companies combine lead technician with foreman titles.
Which industries pay the most for maintenance supervisors?
Highest-paying industries: Power and energy: LKR 100K-150K (Ceylon Electricity Board, private power). Oil and gas: LKR 120K-180K. Pharmaceutical manufacturing: LKR 100K-140K. Heavy manufacturing: LKR 95K-140K. Food and beverage: LKR 85K-130K. Telecommunications: LKR 90K-130K. Port and shipping: LKR 90K-130K. 5-star hotels: LKR 90K-120K. Private hospitals: LKR 85K-130K. Building facilities: LKR 70K-100K. Garment factories: LKR 75K-110K. BOI export manufacturing zones competitive. BOI zones: LKR 85K-130K. Specialized industries (chemical, cement): LKR 95K-140K. Geographical: Colombo wages 10-20% higher than rural factories.
What qualifications do maintenance supervisors need?
Qualifications: Technical diploma (NDT, NDES, HNDE): base requirement. City & Guilds craft certificate: entry point. NTA trade certificates: essential for foreman roles. Engineering degree: may skip some years, start higher. Leadership training: supervisory skills courses. Safety certification: NEBOSH, local safety courses. Computer literacy: CMMS, Excel, emails. First aid certification. Forklift/overhead crane operation licenses. Trade licenses: Electrician wireman license, welding certification. Supervisory experience preferred: 5-8 years trade experience + 2+ years leading teams. Management training adds value. Continuous technical training essential. Organizations: IESL, IMechE membership adds credibility.
How many technicians does a supervisor manage?
Team size varies: Small facility: 3-8 technicians (hands-on supervisor). Medium facility: 8-15 technicians. Large factory: 15-25 technicians (with foremen assisting). Complex sites: Multiple supervisors, each managing 10-20. Supervisor-to-technician ratio: Typically 1:8-15. Foreman-to-technician ratio: 1:5-10. Direct supervision: Supervisor assigns work, reviews quality, handles issues. Shift supervisors: Manage shift team with support from day supervisor. Role includes coordination between shifts, handovers, ensuring coverage. Complex plants have electrical supervisor, mechanical supervisor separately. Production maintenance supervisors coordinate with production managers. Building supervisors may manage security and cleaning in addition. Team management takes 40-60% of time, rest on hands-on and paperwork.
What shift patterns do maintenance supervisors work?
Shift patterns: Day shift only: 8 AM-5 PM, 6 days (smaller facilities). Two shifts: 6 AM-2 PM, 2 PM-10 PM rotating. Three shifts: rotating 8-hour shifts (6-2, 2-10, 10-6). 12-hour shifts: Common in continuous operations (2 day shifts, 2 night shifts, days off). On-call: After-hours for emergencies from day shift. Rotating shift supervisors: Cover different shifts weekly/monthly. Permanent shift supervisors: Fixed shift with premium (15-20% night shift allowance). Weekend work: Rotating weekend coverage. Overtime during breakdowns and annual shutdowns. Some supervisors on-call 24/7 during production runs. Holidays: May work during major maintenance shutdowns. Work-life balance challenging in continuous operations. Shift allowance: LKR 10,000-30,000/month extra for rotating/night shifts.
What are the career advancement opportunities?
Career progression: Maintenance Technician (LKR 45K-75K) -> Lead Technician (LKR 70K-95K, 5-8 yrs) -> Foreman (LKR 65K-95K) -> Maintenance Supervisor (LKR 80K-130K, 8-12 yrs) -> Maintenance Manager (LKR 150K-250K, 12+ yrs) -> Plant Engineer (LKR 200K-350K). Shift to Maintenance Planner: LKR 80K-130K (scheduling focus). Reliability Engineer: LKR 130K-200K (technical specialist). Technical trainer/consultant: LKR 100K-150K. Facilities Manager: LKR 130K-180K (buildings). Project maintenance roles: LKR 100K-160K in construction. Movement between manufacturing, hotel, hospital sectors possible. Technical expertise + management skills = advancement.
What responsibilities do maintenance supervisors have?
Core responsibilities: Daily work assignment and scheduling, team supervision and guidance, breakdown response coordination, preventive maintenance execution, safety enforcement and training, spares and inventory management, contractor coordination, maintenance reporting (daily, weekly, monthly), budget tracking, performance evaluation of team, training and development of technicians, shift handovers and coverage, coordination with production departments, documentation (work orders, logs), root cause analysis of failures, energy management. Administrative: 20-30% of time. Technical hands-on: 30-50% during breakdowns. People management: 20-40%. Key skills: Problem-solving, communication, leadership, technical knowledge, safety compliance, time management, report writing.
What benefits do maintenance supervisors receive?
Benefits package: Attendance allowance: LKR 5,000-15,000/month. Shift allowance: LKR 10,000-30,000/month (if applicable). Performance bonus: LKR 50,000-150,000 annually. Medical insurance: Coverage LKR 500K-2M for self and family. Transport: Company van for facility rounds, or allowance LKR 15,000-30,000. Uniforms: Provided and laundered by company. Tool allowance: LKR 10,000-30,000 annually for equipment. Mobile phone: Provided or allowance LKR 2,000-5,000. Festival advance: LKR 100,000-200,000. EPF/ETF: Standard 12% employer contribution. Annual leave: 14-21 days. Medical leave: As per company policy. Gratuity: After 5 years service. Some factories offer: Food/lunch, housing allowance for remote sites, education assistance for children. Safety equipment: PPE, boots, helmets mandatory and provided.