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The differences between maintenance associates and maintenance engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a maintenance associate and a maintenance engineer. Additionally, a maintenance engineer has an average salary of $47,133, which is higher than the $35,101 average annual salary of a maintenance associate.
The top three skills for a maintenance associate include customer service, clean environment and sales floor. The most important skills for a maintenance engineer are plumbing, HVAC, and guest rooms.
| Maintenance Associate | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $35,101 | $47,133 |
| Hourly rate | $16.88 | $22.66 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 92,078 | 97,957 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A maintenance associate is responsible for ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of the facilities, as well as inspecting and repairing broken machines and defective equipment to avoid delays in the operations. Maintenance associates monitor the adequacy of inventories, especially in manufacturing settings, coordinating with suppliers and third-party vendors for distribution and delivery. They also report hazardous incidents to the management, resolve maintenance complaints, and suggest quality control strategies to prevent reoccurrence and improve operational structures.
A maintenance engineer is responsible for the maintenance of industrial machinery and inspects equipment defects for immediate troubleshooting or replacement as needed. Maintenance engineers install and upgrade system components to improve system optimization and perform diagnostic systems to locate any adjustments. They also conduct routine checks, assist clients with technical faults, and ensure that the equipment works safely for certain operations. A maintenance engineer must have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry to address technical malfunctions immediately.
Maintenance associates and maintenance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Maintenance Associate | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $35,101 | $47,133 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $47,000 | Between $29,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oak Creek, WI | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Wisconsin | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | IDEX | Halliburton |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | - |
There are a few differences between a maintenance associate and a maintenance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Maintenance Associate | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between maintenance associates' and maintenance engineers' demographics:
| Maintenance Associate | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.2% Female, 15.8% | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 4.6% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 4.4% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |