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Field maintenance technician vs utility technician

The differences between field maintenance technicians and utility 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 a utility technician. Additionally, a field maintenance technician has an average salary of $37,403, which is higher than the $37,073 average annual salary of a utility technician.

The top three skills for a field maintenance technician include field maintenance, customer service and plumbing. The most important skills for a utility technician are customer service, ladders, and safety procedures.

Field maintenance technician vs utility technician overview

Field Maintenance TechnicianUtility Technician
Yearly salary$37,403$37,073
Hourly rate$17.98$17.82
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs225,113121,895
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%High School Diploma, 32%
Average age4747
Years of experience44

What does a field maintenance technician do?

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.

What does a utility technician do?

A utility technician performs various duties and responsibilities for an organization. These include inspecting utility infrastructure and reporting any deficiencies, auditing utility services and ensuring current standards are complied with, and updating and maintaining the utility information database. As a utility technician, you are responsible for coordinating projects and communicating results of finished projects, performing preventive maintenance, and diagnosing and troubleshooting equipment and system malfunctions. You are also responsible for conducting training and mentoring new utility technicians.

Field maintenance technician vs utility technician salary

Field maintenance technicians and utility technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Field Maintenance TechnicianUtility Technician
Average salary$37,403$37,073
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $54,000Between $27,000 And $49,000
Highest paying CityRichmond, VAMilwaukee, WI
Highest paying stateMinnesotaHawaii
Best paying companyAmerican WaterAnheuser-Busch
Best paying industry-Finance

Differences between field maintenance technician and utility technician education

There are a few differences between a field maintenance technician and a utility technician in terms of educational background:

Field Maintenance TechnicianUtility Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%High School Diploma, 32%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Field maintenance technician vs utility technician demographics

Here are the differences between field maintenance technicians' and utility technicians' demographics:

Field Maintenance TechnicianUtility Technician
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 91.8% Female, 8.2%Male, 85.8% Female, 14.2%
Race ratioBlack 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, 11.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage2%2%

Differences between field maintenance technician and utility technician duties and responsibilities

Field maintenance technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage proper storage of equipment, compliance with ANSI, NEC standard and assure OSHA safety regulations.
  • Repair and install anything HVAC and plumbing relate
  • Service and charge HVAC systems.
  • Perform electrical repairs such as replacing switches, ballast and wiring.
  • Perform activities such as loading trucks, repairing and operating rock crushers, loaders, and excavators.
  • Follow OSHA protocols and standards for working with high-voltage equipment and heavy machinery in a constantly changing environment.
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Utility technician example responsibilities.

  • Maintain numerous automate scripts to assist in managing Linux systems.
  • Assist engineers in daily duties such as lighting and HVAC.
  • Process includes both mechanical and electronic integration-programming of settings, PLC linking power settings, etc.
  • Collect, compact and bail cardboard, transport cardboard pallets to pickup area with a pallet jack.
  • Experience in/with electric motors, diesel motors, gasoline engines, pumps, plumbing systems, isolation valves.
  • General landscape maintenance including mowing lawns, blowing walkway surfaces, as well as tree and branch removal.
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Field maintenance technician vs utility technician skills

Common field maintenance technician skills
  • Field Maintenance, 15%
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Plumbing, 7%
  • Preventative Maintenance, 6%
  • OSHA, 6%
  • Routine Maintenance, 5%
Common utility technician skills
  • Customer Service, 13%
  • Ladders, 6%
  • Safety Procedures, 4%
  • HVAC, 3%
  • Cranes, 3%
  • Preventive Maintenance, 3%

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