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The differences between maintenance engineers and preventive maintenance technicians 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 preventive maintenance technician. Additionally, a maintenance engineer has an average salary of $47,133, which is higher than the $40,935 average annual salary of a preventive maintenance technician.
The top three skills for a maintenance engineer include plumbing, HVAC and guest rooms. The most important skills for a preventive maintenance technician are customer service, hand tools, and HVAC.
| Maintenance Engineer | Preventive Maintenance Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $47,133 | $40,935 |
| Hourly rate | $22.66 | $19.68 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 97,957 | 170,517 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| 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 preventive maintenance technician performs routine facility maintenance to prevent possible mechanical failure. The technicians change worn out machine parts before they can cause mechanical damage. They keep the facility operating. It is their job to conduct quality assessments, maintain inventory, and schedule repairs. Also, they see to it that machines are up and running at all times. They are expected to be equipped with skills in customer service, problem-solving, reading comprehension, business operation, and mechanical aptitude.
Maintenance engineers and preventive maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Maintenance Engineer | Preventive Maintenance Technician | |
| Average salary | $47,133 | $40,935 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $74,000 | Between $31,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Owatonna, MN |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Halliburton | Kiewit |
| Best paying industry | - | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a maintenance engineer and a preventive maintenance technician in terms of educational background:
| Maintenance Engineer | Preventive Maintenance Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between maintenance engineers' and preventive maintenance technicians' demographics:
| Maintenance Engineer | Preventive Maintenance Technician | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |