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Maintenance equipment operator vs maintenance technician

The differences between maintenance equipment operators and maintenance technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a maintenance technician has an average salary of $43,293, which is higher than the $36,428 average annual salary of a maintenance equipment operator.

The top three skills for a maintenance equipment operator include CDL, asphalt and hand tools. The most important skills for a maintenance technician are plumbing, HVAC, and hand tools.

Maintenance equipment operator vs maintenance technician overview

Maintenance Equipment OperatorMaintenance Technician
Yearly salary$36,428$43,293
Hourly rate$17.51$20.81
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs95,918178,450
Job satisfaction-4.25
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 45%High School Diploma, 34%
Average age4447
Years of experience-4

Maintenance equipment operator vs maintenance technician salary

Maintenance equipment operators and maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Maintenance Equipment OperatorMaintenance Technician
Average salary$36,428$43,293
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $47,000Between $31,000 And $59,000
Highest paying CitySacramento, CARichmond, CA
Highest paying statePennsylvaniaRhode Island
Best paying companyUniversity of Massachusetts BostonAnheuser-Busch
Best paying industryEnergyManufacturing

Differences between maintenance equipment operator and maintenance technician education

There are a few differences between a maintenance equipment operator and a maintenance technician in terms of educational background:

Maintenance Equipment OperatorMaintenance Technician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 45%High School Diploma, 34%
Most common majorAutomotive TechnologyElectrical Engineering Technology
Most common college--

Maintenance equipment operator vs maintenance technician demographics

Here are the differences between maintenance equipment operators' and maintenance technicians' demographics:

Maintenance Equipment OperatorMaintenance Technician
Average age4447
Gender ratioMale, 96.0% Female, 4.0%Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 17.3% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 25.3% Asian, 1.5% White, 50.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 4.6% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage10%2%

Differences between maintenance equipment operator and maintenance technician duties and responsibilities

Maintenance equipment operator example responsibilities.

  • Certify in structural steel (ICC/AWS), concrete (ACI) and soils.
  • See operator, run a mower with a fecon head.
  • Perform job functions all under company safety guidelines and dot regulations.
  • Operate side boom and forklifts.
  • Pull side dump lowboy, belly dump, and pup trailers.
  • Move equipment with lowboy and dovetail trailers to and from job sites.
  • Show more

Maintenance technician example responsibilities.

  • Install, repair and troubleshoot electrical wiring, including switches, outlets, lights, ballast.
  • Monitor and document all temperature readings on boilers, chillers, and dry vac systems beginning and mid shift.
  • Perform preventative maintenance checks and services on exhaust fans, boilers, chiller units, automatic transfer switches, and generators.
  • Repair electrical equipment; replace faulty electrical switches; repair refrigeration equipment.
  • Handle trouble-shooting and repair of mechanical systems refrigerant recovery and charging of HVAC systems.
  • Facilitate commercial plumbing, electrical, light HVAC, and carpentry repairs in a laboratory facility environment
  • Show more

Maintenance equipment operator vs maintenance technician skills

Common maintenance equipment operator skills
  • CDL, 13%
  • Asphalt, 9%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Dump Truck, 6%
  • Mowing, 6%
  • Loaders, 5%
Common maintenance technician skills
  • Plumbing, 10%
  • HVAC, 8%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Ladders, 4%
  • Electrical Systems, 4%

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