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General maintenance mechanic vs maintenance technician

The differences between general maintenance mechanics and 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 general maintenance mechanic and a maintenance technician. Additionally, a maintenance technician has an average salary of $43,293, which is higher than the $37,631 average annual salary of a general maintenance mechanic.

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

General maintenance mechanic vs maintenance technician overview

General Maintenance MechanicMaintenance Technician
Yearly salary$37,631$43,293
Hourly rate$18.09$20.81
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs167,937178,450
Job satisfaction-4.25
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 46%High School Diploma, 34%
Average age4747
Years of experience44

What does a general maintenance mechanic do?

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.

What does a maintenance technician do?

Maintenance technicians are technicians who specialize in the preservation of office facilities. They have in-depth knowledge of how various office equipment or fixtures work so that they can immediately identify how to repair them in case of breakdowns. Maintenance technicians perform diagnostics and routine maintenance activities to ensure that everything in the office is running well. They immediately repair problems in fixtures or equipment to avoid any further damages or safety concerns. They should be familiar with occupational safety and health standards to ensure that the office is a safe place to work.

General maintenance mechanic vs maintenance technician salary

General maintenance mechanics and maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

General Maintenance MechanicMaintenance Technician
Average salary$37,631$43,293
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $51,000Between $31,000 And $59,000
Highest paying CitySanta Clara, CARichmond, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaRhode Island
Best paying companyBeth Israel Deaconess Medical CenterAnheuser-Busch
Best paying industryManufacturingManufacturing

Differences between general maintenance mechanic and maintenance technician education

There are a few differences between a general maintenance mechanic and a maintenance technician in terms of educational background:

General Maintenance MechanicMaintenance Technician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 46%High School Diploma, 34%
Most common majorBusinessElectrical Engineering Technology
Most common college--

General maintenance mechanic vs maintenance technician demographics

Here are the differences between general maintenance mechanics' and maintenance technicians' demographics:

General Maintenance MechanicMaintenance Technician
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 93.6% Female, 6.4%Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 4.6% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage2%2%

Differences between general maintenance mechanic and maintenance technician duties and responsibilities

General maintenance mechanic example responsibilities.

  • Maintain all safety and training documentation as required by OSHA.
  • Assist client in maintaining a clean, safe work environment per OSHA regulations.
  • General apartment maintenance in HVAC repair
  • Perform PLC setup of newly install production machinery.
  • Repair and troubleshoot not only plumbing but also construction and general maintenance situations.
  • Perform general maintenance of parks facilities including carpentry, electrical and plumbing work.
  • Show more

Maintenance technician example responsibilities.

  • Install, repair and troubleshoot electrical wiring, including switches, outlets, lights, ballast.
  • Monitor and document all temperature readings on boilers, chillers, and dry vac systems beginning and mid shift.
  • Perform preventative maintenance checks and services on exhaust fans, boilers, chiller units, automatic transfer switches, and generators.
  • Repair electrical equipment; replace faulty electrical switches; repair refrigeration equipment.
  • Handle trouble-shooting and repair of mechanical systems refrigerant recovery and charging of HVAC systems.
  • Facilitate commercial plumbing, electrical, light HVAC, and carpentry repairs in a laboratory facility environment
  • Show more

General maintenance mechanic vs maintenance technician skills

Common general maintenance mechanic skills
  • Plumbing, 16%
  • HVAC, 11%
  • Customer Service, 11%
  • Hand Tools, 5%
  • Ladders, 5%
  • Electrical Equipment, 4%
Common maintenance technician skills
  • Plumbing, 10%
  • HVAC, 8%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Ladders, 4%
  • Electrical Systems, 4%

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