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The differences between maintenance foremen and maintenance engineers 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 foreman and a maintenance engineer. Additionally, a maintenance engineer has an average salary of $47,133, which is higher than the $40,478 average annual salary of a maintenance foreman.
The top three skills for a maintenance foreman include CDL, plumbing and maintenance repairs. The most important skills for a maintenance engineer are plumbing, HVAC, and guest rooms.
| Maintenance Foreman | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $40,478 | $47,133 |
| Hourly rate | $19.46 | $22.66 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 97,927 | 97,957 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 29% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
If an office has a human resource specialist that monitors the employees, maintenance workers have what you call a foreman. They are the ones responsible for overseeing and supervising the maintenance work. This includes monitoring, facilitating, and repairing types of machinery and other equipment. A foreman may supervise the laborers, maintenance workers, helpers, and others.
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.
Maintenance foremen and maintenance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Maintenance Foreman | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $40,478 | $47,133 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $52,000 | Between $29,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairbanks, AK | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Genesee & Wyoming | Halliburton |
| Best paying industry | Energy | - |
There are a few differences between a maintenance foreman and a maintenance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Maintenance Foreman | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 29% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between maintenance foremen' and maintenance engineers' demographics:
| Maintenance Foreman | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8% | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 4.6% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |