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The differences between maintenance engineers and general maintenance mechanics 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 engineer and a general maintenance mechanic. Additionally, a maintenance engineer has an average salary of $47,133, which is higher than the $37,631 average annual salary of a general maintenance mechanic.
The top three skills for a maintenance engineer include plumbing, HVAC and guest rooms. The most important skills for a general maintenance mechanic are plumbing, HVAC, and customer service.
| Maintenance Engineer | General Maintenance Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $47,133 | $37,631 |
| Hourly rate | $22.66 | $18.09 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 97,957 | 167,937 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A general maintenance mechanic is responsible for ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of the facilities and inspecting the condition and performance of the equipment and machinery for business operations and processes. General maintenance mechanics handle equipment repairs and replacement of defective components, requiring them to have extensive knowledge of the mechanical industry. They also install and assemble equipment by analyzing mechanical schematics and blueprints accurately. A general maintenance mechanic creates a comprehensive schedule of inspection, repairs, and quality control checks to preserve the safe standards of the premises.
Maintenance engineers and general maintenance mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Maintenance Engineer | General Maintenance Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $47,133 | $37,631 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $74,000 | Between $27,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Santa Clara, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Halliburton | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a maintenance engineer and a general maintenance mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Maintenance Engineer | General Maintenance Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between maintenance engineers' and general maintenance mechanics' demographics:
| Maintenance Engineer | General Maintenance Mechanic | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% | Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 4.5% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |