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Facility maintenance technician vs preventive maintenance technician

The differences between facility maintenance technicians and preventive 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 a facility maintenance technician and a preventive maintenance technician. Additionally, a preventive maintenance technician has an average salary of $40,935, which is higher than the $39,575 average annual salary of a facility maintenance technician.

The top three skills for a facility maintenance technician include plumbing, HVAC and hand tools. The most important skills for a preventive maintenance technician are customer service, hand tools, and HVAC.

Facility maintenance technician vs preventive maintenance technician overview

Facility Maintenance TechnicianPreventive Maintenance Technician
Yearly salary$39,575$40,935
Hourly rate$19.03$19.68
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs171,217170,517
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 31%Associate Degree, 31%
Average age4747
Years of experience44

What does a facility maintenance technician do?

A facility maintenance technician is responsible for inspecting the safety and security of the facilities, including the operational tools, equipment, and machinery, to avoid potential hazards in the production area and maintain timely project deliverables. Facility maintenance technicians perform a regular check on the equipment, identifying glitches and inconsistencies, and repairing defective components to avoid delays in operation. They also install and assemble new machines, requiring them to have comprehensive knowledge of reading schematics and blueprints. A facility maintenance technician records incident reports and suggests immediate safety actions to management.

What does a preventive maintenance technician do?

A preventive maintenance technician performs routine facility maintenance to prevent possible mechanical failure. The technicians change worn out machine parts before they can cause mechanical damage. They keep the facility operating. It is their job to conduct quality assessments, maintain inventory, and schedule repairs. Also, they see to it that machines are up and running at all times. They are expected to be equipped with skills in customer service, problem-solving, reading comprehension, business operation, and mechanical aptitude.

Facility maintenance technician vs preventive maintenance technician salary

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

Facility Maintenance TechnicianPreventive Maintenance Technician
Average salary$39,575$40,935
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $52,000Between $31,000 And $52,000
Highest paying CityAnchorage, AKOwatonna, MN
Highest paying stateAlaskaAlaska
Best paying companyThe American Musical and Dramatic AcademyKiewit
Best paying industryManufacturingAutomotive

Differences between facility maintenance technician and preventive maintenance technician education

There are a few differences between a facility maintenance technician and a preventive maintenance technician in terms of educational background:

Facility Maintenance TechnicianPreventive Maintenance Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 31%Associate Degree, 31%
Most common majorElectrical Engineering TechnologyAutomotive Technology
Most common college--

Facility maintenance technician vs preventive maintenance technician demographics

Here are the differences between facility maintenance technicians' and preventive maintenance technicians' demographics:

Facility Maintenance TechnicianPreventive Maintenance Technician
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 95.6% Female, 4.4%Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 4.5% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage2%2%

Differences between facility maintenance technician and preventive maintenance technician duties and responsibilities

Facility maintenance technician example responsibilities.

  • Maintain troubleshoot all facility equipment.
  • Certify in CPR and a use through the state of Minnesota.
  • Train and certify to operate floor buffers and walk behind floor scrubbers.
  • Develop an in-house CPR program saving the center an unnecessary yearly expense.
  • Operate high voltage equipment such as buffers, automatic scrubbers and high-pressure washers.
  • Remove snow from sidewalks using snow blowers, snow shovels and snow melting chemicals.
  • Show more

Preventive maintenance technician example responsibilities.

  • Initiate and implement first preventative maintenance program for CNC, mills and lathes for the maintenance dept.
  • Control circuit and PLC installation and programming.
  • Climb poles, ladders and other structures as needed.
  • Train and knowledgeable of OSHA's rules and regulations.
  • Insure vehicle are meeting all safety guidelines as set for by ANSI and OSHA.
  • Assist higher-level heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) mechanics.
  • Show more

Facility maintenance technician vs preventive maintenance technician skills

Common facility maintenance technician skills
  • Plumbing, 17%
  • HVAC, 14%
  • Hand Tools, 5%
  • Ladders, 5%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • OSHA, 3%
Common preventive maintenance technician skills
  • Customer Service, 18%
  • Hand Tools, 8%
  • HVAC, 8%
  • Dishwashers, 6%
  • Plumbing, 5%
  • Water Filters, 4%

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