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The differences between equipment technicians and maintenance technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a maintenance technician has an average salary of $43,293, which is higher than the $41,004 average annual salary of an equipment technician.
The top three skills for an equipment technician include preventative maintenance, patients and equipment maintenance. The most important skills for a maintenance technician are plumbing, HVAC, and hand tools.
| Equipment Technician | Maintenance Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $41,004 | $43,293 |
| Hourly rate | $19.71 | $20.81 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 127,258 | 178,450 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.25 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 39% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| Average age | 46 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
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.
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.
Equipment technicians and maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Equipment Technician | Maintenance Technician | |
| Average salary | $41,004 | $43,293 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $56,000 | Between $31,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Westinghouse Appliances Australia | Anheuser-Busch |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an equipment technician and a maintenance technician in terms of educational background:
| Equipment Technician | Maintenance Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 39% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering Technology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | - |
Here are the differences between equipment technicians' and maintenance technicians' demographics:
| Equipment Technician | Maintenance Technician | |
| Average age | 46 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6% | Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 Percentage | 9% | 2% |