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Building technician vs maintenance technician

The differences between building technicians 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 technician and a maintenance technician. Additionally, a building technician has an average salary of $46,250, which is higher than the $43,293 average annual salary of a maintenance technician.

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

Building technician vs maintenance technician overview

Building TechnicianMaintenance Technician
Yearly salary$46,250$43,293
Hourly rate$22.24$20.81
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs97,697178,450
Job satisfaction-4.25
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 31%High School Diploma, 34%
Average age4747
Years of experience44

What does a building technician do?

A building technician plays a vital role in the success of construction projects. They provide support to construction managers, architects, and other workers in conducting regular site inspections, determining construction requirements, estimating costs, reaching out and negotiating with suppliers, evaluating materials, and purchasing supplies. In some companies, a building technician performs regular maintenance checks on facilities and equipment, conducting repairs and replacements when necessary. There are also times when they manage a team of workers, supervising their performance to ensure an 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 technician vs maintenance technician salary

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

Building TechnicianMaintenance Technician
Average salary$46,250$43,293
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $69,000Between $31,000 And $59,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCRichmond, CA
Highest paying stateMassachusettsRhode Island
Best paying companyIBMAnheuser-Busch
Best paying industryRetailManufacturing

Differences between building technician and maintenance technician education

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

Building TechnicianMaintenance Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 31%High School Diploma, 34%
Most common majorBusinessElectrical Engineering Technology
Most common college--

Building technician vs maintenance technician demographics

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

Building TechnicianMaintenance Technician
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 85.4% Female, 14.6%Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 4.6% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%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 technician and maintenance technician duties and responsibilities

Building technician example responsibilities.

  • Maintain an accident free workplace under OSHA's standards.
  • Build, troubleshoot, and repair cellular analyzing equipment for medical and educational research.
  • Perform general plumbing and electrical repairs.
  • Execute basic electrical and plumbing functions.
  • Coordinate and collaborate with dealerships to troubleshoot and repair any vehicle issues.
  • Develop acute attention to detail and high level of dexterity require for repair of intricate mechanisms common in photographic equipment.
  • 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 technician vs maintenance technician skills

Common building technician skills
  • Plumbing, 10%
  • HVAC, 10%
  • Building Maintenance, 6%
  • Preventative Maintenance, 5%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Ladders, 5%
Common maintenance technician skills
  • Plumbing, 10%
  • HVAC, 8%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Ladders, 4%
  • Electrical Systems, 4%

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