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Engineering technician vs maintenance technician

The differences between engineering 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 an engineering technician and a maintenance technician. Additionally, an engineering technician has an average salary of $60,273, which is higher than the $43,293 average annual salary of a maintenance technician.

The top three skills for an engineering technician include technical support, data collection and test equipment. The most important skills for a maintenance technician are plumbing, HVAC, and hand tools.

Engineering technician vs maintenance technician overview

Engineering TechnicianMaintenance Technician
Yearly salary$60,273$43,293
Hourly rate$28.98$20.81
Growth rate3%5%
Number of jobs111,343178,450
Job satisfaction-4.25
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%High School Diploma, 34%
Average age4547
Years of experience44

What does an engineering technician do?

An Engineering Technician's duties vary according to the industry or company, whether mechanical, industrial, civil, agricultural, or more. However, most of the time, the responsibilities often revolve around resolving technical issues, working with and assisting Engineers in building, assembling, designing, gathering and testing data, and conducting more manual activities. Furthermore, Engineering Technicians can specialize and work in various fields after a certain training period, closely mentored or monitored by an engineer or someone with extensive expertise.

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.

Engineering technician vs maintenance technician salary

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

Engineering TechnicianMaintenance Technician
Average salary$60,273$43,293
Salary rangeBetween $37,000 And $96,000Between $31,000 And $59,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CARichmond, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonRhode Island
Best paying companyWestern DigitalAnheuser-Busch
Best paying industryTechnologyManufacturing

Differences between engineering technician and maintenance technician education

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

Engineering TechnicianMaintenance Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%High School Diploma, 34%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering Technology
Most common collegePurdue University-

Engineering technician vs maintenance technician demographics

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

Engineering TechnicianMaintenance Technician
Average age4547
Gender ratioMale, 85.9% Female, 14.1%Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 9.2% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%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 Percentage6%2%

Differences between engineering technician and maintenance technician duties and responsibilities

Engineering technician example responsibilities.

  • Used Microsoft SharePoint to manage projects, web base collaboration, alerts and for document management.
  • Achieve UL certification for thermal overload protection used in motor applications.
  • Manage equipment database and organize annual equipment calibration require by internal quality control and ISO standards.
  • Manage and distribute cad standards to contributing design consultants and assist with any design issues as necessary.
  • Maintain engineering lab equipment: troubleshoot and repair any faulty electronic or mechanical malfunctions, and calibrate test equipment.
  • Specialize in software and hardware engineering to military standards and project management of DoD contracts.
  • 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

Engineering technician vs maintenance technician skills

Common engineering technician skills
  • Technical Support, 5%
  • Data Collection, 4%
  • Test Equipment, 4%
  • Asphalt, 4%
  • Construction Projects, 4%
  • Construction Materials, 4%
Common maintenance technician skills
  • Plumbing, 10%
  • HVAC, 8%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Ladders, 4%
  • Electrical Systems, 4%

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