Cooling tower technician vs industrial mechanic

The differences between cooling tower technicians and industrial mechanics can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a cooling tower technician and an industrial mechanic. Additionally, an industrial mechanic has an average salary of $53,333, which is higher than the $46,659 average annual salary of a cooling tower technician.

The top three skills for a cooling tower technician include cooling towers, HVAC and ladders. The most important skills for an industrial mechanic are industrial maintenance, hand tools, and PLC.

Cooling tower technician vs industrial mechanic overview

	Cooling Tower Technician	Industrial Mechanic
Yearly salary	$46,659	$53,333
Hourly rate	$22.43	$25.64
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	25,597	158,560
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 43%	Associate Degree, 35%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	2	2

Cooling tower technician vs industrial mechanic salary

Cooling tower technicians and industrial mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cooling Tower Technician	Industrial Mechanic
Average salary	$46,659	$53,333
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $74,000	Between $39,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	-	Fremont, CA
Highest paying state	-	West Virginia
Best paying company	-	California Resources
Best paying industry	-	Transportation

Differences between cooling tower technician and industrial mechanic education

There are a few differences between a cooling tower technician and an industrial mechanic in terms of educational background:

	Cooling Tower Technician	Industrial Mechanic
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 43%	Associate Degree, 35%
Most common major	General Studies	Industrial Technology
Most common college	-	-

Cooling tower technician vs industrial mechanic demographics

Here are the differences between cooling tower technicians' and industrial mechanics' demographics:

	Cooling Tower Technician	Industrial Mechanic
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 90.4% Female, 9.6%	Male, 96.6% Female, 3.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 3.3% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 3.3% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between cooling tower technician and industrial mechanic duties and responsibilities

Cooling tower technician example responsibilities.

Compose written reports of data collect from patient evaluation and present to department chief for thorough analysis of patient diagnosis.
Implement a centralize electronic LOTO system which improve compliance and oversight to remote facilities.

Industrial mechanic example responsibilities.

Organize a procedure for rapid plumbing repairs by proactively devising a solid inventory system for effectively managing spare parts and tools.
Work on airport baggage conveyor systems including troubleshooting PLC problems
Used lathes, welding equipment, hoists and lifts.
Monitor comfort controls, fire safety, lighting, and HVAC equipment.
Have training in the Herzig arc flash electrical safety and PPE standards.
Correct electrical, mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, welding, and PLC problems.

Cooling tower technician vs industrial mechanic skills

Common cooling tower technician skills

Cooling Towers, 37%
HVAC, 33%
Ladders, 15%
Hand Tools, 12%
Power, 1%
Hand, 1%

Common industrial mechanic skills

Industrial Maintenance, 12%
Hand Tools, 10%
PLC, 5%
Mechanical Equipment, 5%
HVAC, 3%
Mechanical Troubleshooting, 3%

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Cooling Tower Technician vs Industrial Mechanic

Updated January 8, 2025

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