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Handy person vs maintenance technician

The differences between handy people 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 handy person and a maintenance technician. Additionally, a maintenance technician has an average salary of $43,293, which is higher than the $40,164 average annual salary of a handy person.

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

Handy person vs maintenance technician overview

Handy PersonMaintenance Technician
Yearly salary$40,164$43,293
Hourly rate$19.31$20.81
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs32,197178,450
Job satisfaction-4.25
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 48%High School Diploma, 34%
Average age4747
Years of experience44

Handy person vs maintenance technician salary

Handy people and maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Handy PersonMaintenance Technician
Average salary$40,164$43,293
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $57,000Between $31,000 And $59,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYRichmond, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkRhode Island
Best paying companyMount Sinai Health SystemAnheuser-Busch
Best paying industryConstructionManufacturing

Differences between handy person and maintenance technician education

There are a few differences between a handy person and a maintenance technician in terms of educational background:

Handy PersonMaintenance Technician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 48%High School Diploma, 34%
Most common majorBusinessElectrical Engineering Technology
Most common college--

Handy person vs maintenance technician demographics

Here are the differences between handy people' and maintenance technicians' demographics:

Handy PersonMaintenance Technician
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 94.2% Female, 5.8%Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 22.7% Asian, 4.3% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%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 handy person and maintenance technician duties and responsibilities

Handy person example responsibilities.

  • Assist management in achieving and maintaining outstanding interior and exterior restaurant cleanliness and maintaining restaurant equipment.
  • Perform some carpentry, painting and plastering when need.
  • plaster sheetrock drywall and paint structures interior and exterior.
  • Help with mowing lawns and renovations to pond and deck.
  • Perform basic inspection and maintenance of HVAC building systems and boilers.
  • Perform demolition work such as breaking walls down and putting sheetrock in its place.
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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
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Handy person vs maintenance technician skills

Common handy person skills
  • Plumbing, 21%
  • Maintenance Tasks, 14%
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • HVAC, 14%
  • Drywall Repair, 4%
  • Door Locks, 4%
Common maintenance technician skills
  • Plumbing, 10%
  • HVAC, 8%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Ladders, 4%
  • Electrical Systems, 4%

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