Post job

Building maintenance engineer vs maintenance technician

The differences between building maintenance engineers and maintenance technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a building maintenance engineer and a maintenance technician. Additionally, a building maintenance engineer has an average salary of $47,450, which is higher than the $43,293 average annual salary of a maintenance technician.

The top three skills for a building maintenance engineer include HVAC, plumbing and preventive maintenance. The most important skills for a maintenance technician are plumbing, HVAC, and hand tools.

Building maintenance engineer vs maintenance technician overview

Building Maintenance EngineerMaintenance Technician
Yearly salary$47,450$43,293
Hourly rate$22.81$20.81
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs95,005178,450
Job satisfaction-4.25
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 28%High School Diploma, 34%
Average age4747
Years of experience44

What does a building maintenance engineer do?

A building maintenance engineer is primarily in charge of maintaining building facilities in good condition. Their job entails conducting regular maintenance checks on an establishment's electrical, plumbing, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems, performing repairs and replacements when necessary. They may also install or upgrade systems, execute adjustments, provide technical support to staff, and maintain extensive records. Moreover, as a building maintenance engineer, it is essential to lead maintenance teams to reach goals, all while implementing safety standards and regulations for a smooth and efficient workflow.

What does a maintenance technician do?

Maintenance technicians are technicians who specialize in the preservation of office facilities. They have in-depth knowledge of how various office equipment or fixtures work so that they can immediately identify how to repair them in case of breakdowns. Maintenance technicians perform diagnostics and routine maintenance activities to ensure that everything in the office is running well. They immediately repair problems in fixtures or equipment to avoid any further damages or safety concerns. They should be familiar with occupational safety and health standards to ensure that the office is a safe place to work.

Building maintenance engineer vs maintenance technician salary

Building maintenance engineers and maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Building Maintenance EngineerMaintenance Technician
Average salary$47,450$43,293
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $64,000Between $31,000 And $59,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCRichmond, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaRhode Island
Best paying companyProvidence Health & ServicesAnheuser-Busch
Best paying industryHospitalityManufacturing

Differences between building maintenance engineer and maintenance technician education

There are a few differences between a building maintenance engineer and a maintenance technician in terms of educational background:

Building Maintenance EngineerMaintenance Technician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 28%High School Diploma, 34%
Most common majorHeating And Air ConditioningElectrical Engineering Technology
Most common college--

Building maintenance engineer vs maintenance technician demographics

Here are the differences between building maintenance engineers' and maintenance technicians' demographics:

Building Maintenance EngineerMaintenance Technician
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 96.5% Female, 3.5%Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 22.7% Asian, 4.3% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 4.6% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage2%2%

Differences between building maintenance engineer and maintenance technician duties and responsibilities

Building maintenance engineer example responsibilities.

  • Create python script to automate the deployment process which deploys the application and restarts the servers.
  • Perform preventive maintenance and repair electrical equipment, plumbing, air-condition and refrigeration.
  • Create a plan maintenance system to stay on top of HVAC, energy management and mechanical systems and component repairs.
  • Complete engineering & life-safety systems and procedures training and certifications to ensure adherence to OSHA and other compliance and quality standards.
  • Attend numerous OSHA classes and receive numerous certifications.
  • Restart steam boilers and equipment after unplan emergency shutdowns.
  • Show more

Maintenance technician example responsibilities.

  • Install, repair and troubleshoot electrical wiring, including switches, outlets, lights, ballast.
  • Monitor and document all temperature readings on boilers, chillers, and dry vac systems beginning and mid shift.
  • Perform preventative maintenance checks and services on exhaust fans, boilers, chiller units, automatic transfer switches, and generators.
  • Repair electrical equipment; replace faulty electrical switches; repair refrigeration equipment.
  • Handle trouble-shooting and repair of mechanical systems refrigerant recovery and charging of HVAC systems.
  • Facilitate commercial plumbing, electrical, light HVAC, and carpentry repairs in a laboratory facility environment
  • Show more

Building maintenance engineer vs maintenance technician skills

Common building maintenance engineer skills
  • HVAC, 12%
  • Plumbing, 12%
  • Preventive Maintenance, 10%
  • Ladders, 9%
  • Snow Removal, 8%
  • Emergency Situations, 5%
Common maintenance technician skills
  • Plumbing, 10%
  • HVAC, 8%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Ladders, 4%
  • Electrical Systems, 4%

Browse installation, maintenance and repair jobs