Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between field maintenance technicians and maintenance engineers 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 maintenance engineer. Additionally, a maintenance engineer has an average salary of $47,133, 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 maintenance engineer are plumbing, HVAC, and guest rooms.
| Field Maintenance Technician | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $37,403 | $47,133 |
| Hourly rate | $17.98 | $22.66 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 225,113 | 97,957 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| 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 maintenance engineer is responsible for the maintenance of industrial machinery and inspects equipment defects for immediate troubleshooting or replacement as needed. Maintenance engineers install and upgrade system components to improve system optimization and perform diagnostic systems to locate any adjustments. They also conduct routine checks, assist clients with technical faults, and ensure that the equipment works safely for certain operations. A maintenance engineer must have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry to address technical malfunctions immediately.
Field maintenance technicians and maintenance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Maintenance Technician | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $37,403 | $47,133 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $54,000 | Between $29,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, VA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Minnesota | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | American Water | Halliburton |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a field maintenance technician and a maintenance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Field Maintenance Technician | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between field maintenance technicians' and maintenance engineers' demographics:
| Field Maintenance Technician | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% |
| 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, 4.4% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |