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The differences between industrial maintenance technicians and plant technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an industrial maintenance technician and a plant technician. Additionally, an industrial maintenance technician has an average salary of $50,649, which is higher than the $46,164 average annual salary of a plant technician.
The top three skills for an industrial maintenance technician include industrial maintenance, hand tools and PLC. The most important skills for a plant technician are preventive maintenance, ladders, and data collection.
| Industrial Maintenance Technician | Plant Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $50,649 | $46,164 |
| Hourly rate | $24.35 | $22.19 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 169,569 | 146,543 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A plant technician is in charge of overseeing plant operations, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Their responsibilities include installing and upgrading machines and equipment, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems, implementing solutions to vulnerable or problem areas, and developing strategies to optimize plant operations. They must also perform regular maintenance checks, conducting corrective measures and adjustments as needed. Furthermore, a plant technician must provide technical support to employees, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Industrial maintenance technicians and plant technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Industrial Maintenance Technician | Plant Technician | |
| Average salary | $50,649 | $46,164 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $66,000 | Between $31,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | Kent, WA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Boehringer Ingelheim | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Utilities |
There are a few differences between an industrial maintenance technician and a plant technician in terms of educational background:
| Industrial Maintenance Technician | Plant Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Industrial Technology | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between industrial maintenance technicians' and plant technicians' demographics:
| Industrial Maintenance Technician | Plant Technician | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.5% Female, 3.5% | Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6% |
| 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, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |