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The differences between industrial maintenance technicians and industrial mechanics can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an industrial maintenance technician, becoming an industrial mechanic takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an industrial mechanic has an average salary of $53,333, which is higher than the $50,649 average annual salary of an industrial maintenance technician.
The top three skills for an industrial maintenance technician include industrial maintenance, hand tools and PLC. The most important skills for an industrial mechanic are industrial maintenance, hand tools, and PLC.
| Industrial Maintenance Technician | Industrial Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $50,649 | $53,333 |
| Hourly rate | $24.35 | $25.64 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 169,569 | 158,560 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 42% | Associate Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 47 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
An industrial maintenance technician is responsible for installing, maintaining, and repairing commercial and industrial machinery in a building or a manufacturing plant. You will perform typical duties that include ensuring all machines function properly through preventative maintenance service, conducting tests to ensure production machinery functions properly, and performing safety checks and routine maintenance. Other duties include collaborating with the production team, preparing maintenance reports, and instructing and guiding new employees. An industrial maintenance technician also assesses the machinery's functionality and fabricates parts for machine upgrades and repair.
An industrial mechanic maintains and repairs equipment and any other industrial types of machinery in a factory. Industrial mechanics manage the operation of machinery like production machinery, packaging equipment, and conveying systems. They need to use protective equipment like safety glasses and hardhats as well as follow safety precautions during operations. It is their responsibility to make sure that all industrial machines function well through preventive maintenance service and troubleshooting.
Industrial maintenance technicians and industrial mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Industrial Maintenance Technician | Industrial Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $50,649 | $53,333 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $66,000 | Between $39,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | Fremont, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | West Virginia |
| Best paying company | Boehringer Ingelheim | California Resources |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Transportation |
There are a few differences between an industrial maintenance technician and an industrial mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Industrial Maintenance Technician | Industrial Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 42% | Associate Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Industrial Technology | Industrial Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between industrial maintenance technicians' and industrial mechanics' demographics:
| Industrial Maintenance Technician | Industrial Mechanic | |
| Average age | 47 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.5% Female, 3.5% | Male, 96.6% Female, 3.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 4.7% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 3.3% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |