Maintenance equipment operator vs track mechanic

The differences between maintenance equipment operators and track mechanics can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a track mechanic has an average salary of $170,731, 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 track mechanic are track vehicles, diesel engines, and electrical systems.

Maintenance equipment operator vs track mechanic overview

	Maintenance Equipment Operator	Track Mechanic
Yearly salary	$36,428	$170,731
Hourly rate	$17.51	$82.08
Growth rate	5%	4%
Number of jobs	95,918	34,390
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	44	49
Years of experience	-	4

Maintenance equipment operator vs track mechanic salary

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

	Maintenance Equipment Operator	Track Mechanic
Average salary	$36,428	$170,731
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $47,000	Between $88,000 And $328,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	-
Highest paying state	Pennsylvania	-
Best paying company	University of Massachusetts Boston	-
Best paying industry	Energy	-

Differences between maintenance equipment operator and track mechanic education

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

	Maintenance Equipment Operator	Track Mechanic
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Automotive Technology	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Maintenance equipment operator vs track mechanic demographics

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

	Maintenance Equipment Operator	Track Mechanic
Average age	44	49
Gender ratio	Male, 96.0% Female, 4.0%	Male, 91.4% Female, 8.6%
Race ratio	Black 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, 8.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 2.1% White, 68.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	10%	4%

Differences between maintenance equipment operator and track mechanic 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.

Track mechanic example responsibilities.

Conduct PMCS and perform sustainment maintenance in accordance with COSIS standards.
Dismantle and reassemble heavy track vehicle components using hoists and hand tools.
Inspect and troubleshoot track vehicle automotive systems, wheel vehicles and classify equipment.
Practice preventive maintenance with electrical and mechanical equipment to assure combat readiness.
Document repairs, modifications and inspections in accordance with FAA requirements on both paper and in an automate maintenance information database.
Inspect MHE systems, subsystems and components.

Maintenance equipment operator vs track mechanic skills

Common maintenance equipment operator skills

CDL, 13%
Asphalt, 9%
Hand Tools, 7%
Dump Truck, 6%
Mowing, 6%
Loaders, 5%

Common track mechanic skills

Track Vehicles, 31%
Diesel Engines, 11%
Electrical Systems, 10%
Field Maintenance, 6%
Combat, 5%
Technical Manuals, 5%

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Maintenance Equipment Operator vs Track Mechanic

Updated January 8, 2025

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