Post job

Maintenance equipment operator vs special equipment operator

The differences between maintenance equipment operators and special equipment operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a special equipment operator has an average salary of $44,694, 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 special equipment operator are loaders, CDL, and production lines.

Maintenance equipment operator vs special equipment operator overview

Maintenance Equipment OperatorSpecial Equipment Operator
Yearly salary$36,428$44,694
Hourly rate$17.51$21.49
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs95,91854,350
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 45%High School Diploma, 34%
Average age4444
Years of experience--

Maintenance equipment operator vs special equipment operator salary

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

Maintenance Equipment OperatorSpecial Equipment Operator
Average salary$36,428$44,694
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $47,000Between $34,000 And $58,000
Highest paying CitySacramento, CAGoodyear, AZ
Highest paying statePennsylvaniaAlaska
Best paying companyUniversity of Massachusetts BostonArkansas Electric Cooperative
Best paying industryEnergy-

Differences between maintenance equipment operator and special equipment operator education

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

Maintenance Equipment OperatorSpecial Equipment Operator
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 45%High School Diploma, 34%
Most common majorAutomotive TechnologyBusiness
Most common college--

Maintenance equipment operator vs special equipment operator demographics

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

Maintenance Equipment OperatorSpecial Equipment Operator
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 96.0% Female, 4.0%Male, 87.2% Female, 12.8%
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, 17.4% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 25.5% Asian, 1.0% White, 50.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between maintenance equipment operator and special equipment operator 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

Special equipment operator example responsibilities.

  • Obtain CDL to drive large trucks.
  • Use a RF computer attach on fork truck.
  • Return any leftover material to previous location and relocate in system with RF scanner.
  • Follow all power equipment rules and regulation including any regulatory agency policies to include OSHA.
  • Analyze past occurrences to apply preventative maintenance.

Maintenance equipment operator vs special equipment operator skills

Common maintenance equipment operator skills
  • CDL, 13%
  • Asphalt, 9%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Dump Truck, 6%
  • Mowing, 6%
  • Loaders, 5%
Common special equipment operator skills
  • Loaders, 51%
  • CDL, 25%
  • Production Lines, 9%
  • RF, 8%
  • DOT, 4%
  • Clamp Truck, 2%

Browse construction and extraction jobs