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The differences between field maintenance technicians and equipment 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 field maintenance technician and an equipment maintenance technician. Additionally, an equipment maintenance technician has an average salary of $45,945, which is higher than the $37,403 average annual salary of a field maintenance technician.
The top three skills for a field maintenance technician include field maintenance, customer service and plumbing. The most important skills for an equipment maintenance technician are equipment maintenance, hand tools, and preventive maintenance.
| Field Maintenance Technician | Equipment Maintenance Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,403 | $45,945 |
| Hourly rate | $17.98 | $22.09 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 225,113 | 168,523 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Field Maintenance Technicians are responsible for the on-site maintenance, repair, and installation of systems and equipment. Their duties include inspecting technical problems, performing repair or installing systems and equipment, conducting test runs, demonstrating safe operating procedures, and carrying out preventive maintenance service. They educate clients on troubleshooting techniques, undertake service reviews, and produce service reports. Field Maintenance Technicians also make recommendations related to service upgrades or equipment replacements, organize travel arrangements, and maintain client relationships.
An equipment maintenance technician is responsible for ensuring the stability and efficiency of all production tools and equipment to support smooth business functions and operations. Equipment maintenance technicians conduct regular maintenance for optimization, repair defective components, and inspect equipment parts to identify possible upgrades and replacements. They also assemble equipment and machinery, requiring them to have excellent mechanical and critical-thinking skills to analyze schematics and blueprints accurately. An equipment maintenance technician must be highly communicative and organizational, especially in adhering to the highest safety standards and protocols during operations.
Field maintenance technicians and equipment maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Maintenance Technician | Equipment Maintenance Technician | |
| Average salary | $37,403 | $45,945 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $54,000 | Between $35,000 And $60,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, VA | Hayward, CA |
| Highest paying state | Minnesota | Alaska |
| Best paying company | American Water | Vicor |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a field maintenance technician and an equipment maintenance technician in terms of educational background:
| Field Maintenance Technician | Equipment Maintenance Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between field maintenance technicians' and equipment maintenance technicians' demographics:
| Field Maintenance Technician | Equipment Maintenance Technician | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% | Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 4.5% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 22.2% Asian, 4.3% White, 58.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |