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Maintenance controller vs section chief

The differences between maintenance controllers and section chiefs 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 controller and a section chief. Additionally, a section chief has an average salary of $78,816, which is higher than the $72,133 average annual salary of a maintenance controller.

The top three skills for a maintenance controller include maintenance control, FAA and general maintenance. The most important skills for a section chief are safety procedures, training programs, and professional development.

Maintenance controller vs section chief overview

Maintenance ControllerSection Chief
Yearly salary$72,133$78,816
Hourly rate$34.68$37.89
Growth rate5%6%
Number of jobs70,06913,655
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 37%Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age4949
Years of experience44

What does a maintenance controller do?

To ensure that every passenger can have safe travel, a maintenance controller must check, monitor, and maintain an aircraft's good performance. They are responsible for ensuring that it has passed quality standards, safety requirements, and mechanics before they go in the air. Often reviews, schedules, logs, and coordinates to their supervisor to identify or resolve any unforeseen issue that may come along the way.

What does a section chief do?

A section chief's job varies with the type of organization. In most cases, a section chief is the head of a given section in an organization that is tasked with performing certain duties. A section chief is the head of a unit and provides leadership, motivation, and management of a section of employees. Their duties and responsibilities include reviewing and overseeing budgets, expenditure, and section activities.

Maintenance controller vs section chief salary

Maintenance controllers and section chiefs have different pay scales, as shown below.

Maintenance ControllerSection Chief
Average salary$72,133$78,816
Salary rangeBetween $48,000 And $106,000Between $37,000 And $163,000
Highest paying City-Washington, DC
Highest paying state-New York
Best paying company-Learjet
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between maintenance controller and section chief education

There are a few differences between a maintenance controller and a section chief in terms of educational background:

Maintenance ControllerSection Chief
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 37%Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common majorAviationBusiness
Most common collegeSUNY FarmingdaleSUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Maintenance controller vs section chief demographics

Here are the differences between maintenance controllers' and section chiefs' demographics:

Maintenance ControllerSection Chief
Average age4949
Gender ratioMale, 89.1% Female, 10.9%Male, 88.4% Female, 11.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 2.1% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 2.1% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between maintenance controller and section chief duties and responsibilities

Maintenance controller example responsibilities.

  • Achieve superior safety, logistics reliability, and quality assurance record.
  • Coordinate and manage required logistics support, and direct, document, and monitor aircraft cannibalization.
  • Manage and coordinate extensive activities in support of intercontinental ballistic missile launch facility readiness and space flight operations.
  • Ensure warehouse are in compliance with OSHA state and federal laws.
  • Coordinate travel requirements in support of AOG recovery personnel.
  • Advise, troubleshot, and determine repair procedures using technical publications.
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Section chief example responsibilities.

  • Manage sortie production on 17 USAF E-8C aircraft worth $6.2 billion.
  • Manage HAZMAT accumulation storage points and documentation.
  • Manage training time effectively ensuring employees have every opportunity to learn necessary skills to succeed in a combat environment.
  • Assist in planning, implementing and administering educational training that enhance performance in combat operations for soldiers to accomplish every mission.
  • Provide leadership and knowledge of federal shipping and logistics regulations by managing adherence to all policies and procedures from higher headquarters.
  • Complete HAZMAT transport course and establish on-site certifying capability.
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Maintenance controller vs section chief skills

Common maintenance controller skills
  • Maintenance Control, 13%
  • FAA, 12%
  • General Maintenance, 7%
  • Unscheduled Maintenance, 7%
  • Maintenance Planning, 6%
  • Aircraft Systems, 5%
Common section chief skills
  • Safety Procedures, 22%
  • Training Programs, 9%
  • Professional Development, 7%
  • Logistical Support, 6%
  • Combat, 6%
  • Corrective Action, 5%

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