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Maintenance director vs maintenance superintendent

The differences between maintenance directors and maintenance superintendents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a maintenance director, becoming a maintenance superintendent takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a maintenance superintendent has an average salary of $77,482, which is higher than the $68,901 average annual salary of a maintenance director.

The top three skills for a maintenance director include plumbing, HVAC and life safety. The most important skills for a maintenance superintendent are continuous improvement, OSHA, and plumbing.

Maintenance director vs maintenance superintendent overview

Maintenance DirectorMaintenance Superintendent
Yearly salary$68,901$77,482
Hourly rate$33.13$37.25
Growth rate7%2%
Number of jobs65,49669,775
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age5049
Years of experience24

What does a maintenance director do?

Maintenance directors are responsible for managing the company's maintenance department, which includes directing, overseeing, and leading the maintenance supervisors. It is their responsibility to set goals, create strategies, and design objectives for everyone in the department to accomplish the company objectives. Also, they construct maintenance policies and procedures that are compliant to Occupational Safety and Health regulation. Additionally, they create a preventative maintenance system and procedures to manage daily operations efficiently. Management certifications and technical certifications are important requirements for a professional maintenance director.

What does a maintenance superintendent do?

A maintenance superintendent works in the oil and gas industries. They are based offshore, overseeing a rig concerning these facets mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, and telecommunication. They oversee the technical integrity of a rig's hull, including tanks, topside vessels, and equipment. It is also part of their responsibility for ensuring that there is ample "bunker" on board, as well as managing and preparing operations. They will likely be involved in a safe and efficient rig operation following a rig management system.

Maintenance director vs maintenance superintendent salary

Maintenance directors and maintenance superintendents have different pay scales, as shown below.

Maintenance DirectorMaintenance Superintendent
Average salary$68,901$77,482
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $116,000Between $49,000 And $122,000
Highest paying CitySan Jose, CATracy, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkAlaska
Best paying companyBP America IncBP America Inc
Best paying industryManufacturingHospitality

Differences between maintenance director and maintenance superintendent education

There are a few differences between a maintenance director and a maintenance superintendent in terms of educational background:

Maintenance DirectorMaintenance Superintendent
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversitySUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Maintenance director vs maintenance superintendent demographics

Here are the differences between maintenance directors' and maintenance superintendents' demographics:

Maintenance DirectorMaintenance Superintendent
Average age5049
Gender ratioMale, 96.7% Female, 3.3%Male, 97.3% Female, 2.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 4.4% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 2.1% White, 68.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage5%4%

Differences between maintenance director and maintenance superintendent duties and responsibilities

Maintenance director example responsibilities.

  • Manage a team of housekeepers who keep the building operating at top cleanliness and maintain the facility to meet state requirements.
  • Operate powered equipment such as mowers, snow blowers, chain-saws, electric clippers, extractors, and a skid-steer.
  • Perform preventative maintenance on building HVAC and other equipment, ensuring proper operation and functionality.
  • Experience in preventative maintenance programs, HVAC systems, janitorial/housekeeping procedures, financial operations and supervision of personnel.
  • Operate extractors and bonnet machines.
  • Repair and charging of ac units and refrigerators.
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Maintenance superintendent example responsibilities.

  • Develop and lead lock-out / tag-out (LOTO) and overall plant safety program.
  • Conceptualize and implement TPM strategies covering operations, quality assurance, and maintenance essential to achieve company goals and increase OEE.
  • Utilize workplace safety practices and job hazard analysis to ensure no OSHA injuries for direct reports occur during tenure.
  • Plant EHS support and oversight.
  • Use wide variety of conventional and CNC machines.
  • Define and deploy health and safety (EHS) policies and procedures (HACCP).
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Maintenance director vs maintenance superintendent skills

Common maintenance director skills
  • Plumbing, 12%
  • HVAC, 8%
  • Life Safety, 7%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • OSHA, 5%
  • General Maintenance, 4%
Common maintenance superintendent skills
  • Continuous Improvement, 7%
  • OSHA, 6%
  • Plumbing, 5%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Mowing, 5%
  • Maintenance Supervisors, 4%

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