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The differences between driver/technicians and equipment technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an equipment technician has an average salary of $41,004, which is higher than the $38,110 average annual salary of a driver/technician.
The top three skills for a driver/technician include patients, DOT and CDL. The most important skills for an equipment technician are preventative maintenance, patients, and equipment maintenance.
| Driver/Technician | Equipment Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $38,110 | $41,004 |
| Hourly rate | $18.32 | $19.71 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 78,422 | 127,258 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | Associate Degree, 39% |
| Average age | 36 | 46 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A driver/technician's responsibility mainly focuses on driving heavy equipment like forklifts and loaders while ensuring that the equipment is in good condition by doing systematic maintenance and repair. They also perform quality checks on new equipment to ensure they are in good condition and are safe to use. They recommend maintenance, repair, and replacements of machinery and equipment. They are also trained to monitor deliveries and evaluate staff for their performance.
An equipment technician is responsible for handling the operations of company equipment and machinery, inspecting for any malfunctions, and immediately repairing defective components to prevent delays in productivity. Equipment technicians create a report of system failures, referencing documentation to develop consistency with the equipment, and suggest corrective actions. They should also analyze schematics and blueprints for guides on how to maintain the equipment's reliability. An equipment technician must have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry, especially on enhancing equipment's performance and maximizing operational productivity.
Driver/technicians and equipment technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Driver/Technician | Equipment Technician | |
| Average salary | $38,110 | $41,004 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $51,000 | Between $29,000 And $56,000 |
| Highest paying City | Olympia, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Precision Drilling | Westinghouse Appliances Australia |
| Best paying industry | Government | Construction |
There are a few differences between a driver/technician and an equipment technician in terms of educational background:
| Driver/Technician | Equipment Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | Associate Degree, 39% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | - | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between driver/technicians' and equipment technicians' demographics:
| Driver/Technician | Equipment Technician | |
| Average age | 36 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.8% Female, 7.2% | Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 4.5% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 6.0% White, 69.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 9% |