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The differences between field maintenance technicians and general maintenance mechanics 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 a general maintenance mechanic. Additionally, a general maintenance mechanic has an average salary of $37,631, 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 a general maintenance mechanic are plumbing, HVAC, and customer service.
| Field Maintenance Technician | General Maintenance Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $37,403 | $37,631 |
| Hourly rate | $17.98 | $18.09 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 225,113 | 167,937 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| 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.
A general maintenance mechanic is responsible for ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of the facilities and inspecting the condition and performance of the equipment and machinery for business operations and processes. General maintenance mechanics handle equipment repairs and replacement of defective components, requiring them to have extensive knowledge of the mechanical industry. They also install and assemble equipment by analyzing mechanical schematics and blueprints accurately. A general maintenance mechanic creates a comprehensive schedule of inspection, repairs, and quality control checks to preserve the safe standards of the premises.
Field maintenance technicians and general maintenance mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Maintenance Technician | General Maintenance Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $37,403 | $37,631 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $54,000 | Between $27,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, VA | Santa Clara, CA |
| Highest paying state | Minnesota | Alaska |
| Best paying company | American Water | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a field maintenance technician and a general maintenance mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Field Maintenance Technician | General Maintenance Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between field maintenance technicians' and general maintenance mechanics' demographics:
| Field Maintenance Technician | General Maintenance Mechanic | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% | Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4% |
| 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, 10.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 4.5% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |