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The differences between electrical maintenance technicians and electricians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an electrical maintenance technician, becoming an electrician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an electrical maintenance technician has an average salary of $59,898, which is higher than the $48,850 average annual salary of an electrician.
The top three skills for an electrical maintenance technician include electrical equipment, ac dc and industrial maintenance. The most important skills for an electrician are hand tools, electrical equipment, and run conduit.
| Electrical Maintenance Technician | Electrician | |
| Yearly salary | $59,898 | $48,850 |
| Hourly rate | $28.80 | $23.49 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 206,538 | 17,245 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.86 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 50% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Average age | 47 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
An electrical maintenance technician is primarily in charge of installing and repairing electrical systems. Their responsibilities often revolve around liaising with clients to identify their needs, examining electrical damages or defects on houses or establishments, troubleshooting, and performing fixes and replacements as needed. Aside from providing technical support, an electrical maintenance technician may also train junior technicians and monitor their progress. Furthermore, in a company setting, one must conduct regular maintenance checks on electrical systems to ensure a safe and efficient work environment.
An electrician is a skilled tradesman in charge of wirings and systems which provide electric power to a facility. They are trained to design, install, maintain, and troubleshoot electrical wiring systems. There are four basic types of an electrician - residential wiremen, inside wiremen, telecommunications electrician, and outside linemen. Some work on a standard 40-hour week shift while others are on-call duty. In some cases, traveling is also a vital key to their role where they would work for a few days before moving to another location.
Electrical maintenance technicians and electricians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Maintenance Technician | Electrician | |
| Average salary | $59,898 | $48,850 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $75,000 | Between $32,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Anheuser-Busch | PBF Energy |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an electrical maintenance technician and an electrician in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Maintenance Technician | Electrician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 50% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering Technology | Electrical Engineering Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between electrical maintenance technicians' and electricians' demographics:
| Electrical Maintenance Technician | Electrician | |
| Average age | 47 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.7% Female, 3.3% | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 4.6% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 2.2% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 3% |