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The differences between hvac 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 hvac maintenance technician and a general maintenance mechanic. Additionally, a hvac maintenance technician has an average salary of $42,676, which is higher than the $37,631 average annual salary of a general maintenance mechanic.
The top three skills for a hvac maintenance technician include plumbing, preventative maintenance and HVAC. The most important skills for a general maintenance mechanic are plumbing, HVAC, and customer service.
| Hvac Maintenance Technician | General Maintenance Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $42,676 | $37,631 |
| Hourly rate | $20.52 | $18.09 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 188,673 | 167,937 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 26% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An HVAC maintenance technician specializes in installing and repairing heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. They may provide services to homes, offices, and even establishments. Their responsibilities include liaising with clients to identify their needs, performing equipment inspections, troubleshooting, cleaning hardware parts, and maintaining records of all transactions. They may also provide technical advice to clients on how to take better care of their equipment and appliances. Above all, an HVAC maintenance technician must adhere to the appliance and service standards, including the health and safety regulations.
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.
Hvac maintenance technicians and general maintenance mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hvac Maintenance Technician | General Maintenance Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $42,676 | $37,631 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $58,000 | Between $27,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Irvine, CA | Santa Clara, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Boehringer Ingelheim | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a hvac maintenance technician and a general maintenance mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Hvac Maintenance Technician | General Maintenance Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 26% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Most common major | Heating And Air Conditioning | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between hvac maintenance technicians' and general maintenance mechanics' demographics:
| Hvac Maintenance Technician | General Maintenance Mechanic | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.7% Female, 3.3% | Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 4.5% White, 59.7% 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% |