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Maintenance foreman vs maintenance technician

The differences between maintenance foremen and 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 foreman and a maintenance technician. Additionally, a maintenance technician has an average salary of $43,293, 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 technician are plumbing, HVAC, and hand tools.

Maintenance foreman vs maintenance technician overview

Maintenance ForemanMaintenance Technician
Yearly salary$40,478$43,293
Hourly rate$19.46$20.81
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs97,927178,450
Job satisfaction-4.25
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 29%High School Diploma, 34%
Average age4747
Years of experience44

What does a maintenance foreman do?

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.

What does a maintenance technician do?

Maintenance technicians are technicians who specialize in the preservation of office facilities. They have in-depth knowledge of how various office equipment or fixtures work so that they can immediately identify how to repair them in case of breakdowns. Maintenance technicians perform diagnostics and routine maintenance activities to ensure that everything in the office is running well. They immediately repair problems in fixtures or equipment to avoid any further damages or safety concerns. They should be familiar with occupational safety and health standards to ensure that the office is a safe place to work.

Maintenance foreman vs maintenance technician salary

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

Maintenance ForemanMaintenance Technician
Average salary$40,478$43,293
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $52,000Between $31,000 And $59,000
Highest paying CityFairbanks, AKRichmond, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaRhode Island
Best paying companyGenesee & WyomingAnheuser-Busch
Best paying industryEnergyManufacturing

Differences between maintenance foreman and maintenance technician education

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

Maintenance ForemanMaintenance Technician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 29%High School Diploma, 34%
Most common majorBusinessElectrical Engineering Technology
Most common college--

Maintenance foreman vs maintenance technician demographics

Here are the differences between maintenance foremen' and maintenance technicians' demographics:

Maintenance ForemanMaintenance Technician
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 96.2% Female, 3.8%Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3%
Race ratioBlack 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, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 4.6% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage2%2%

Differences between maintenance foreman and maintenance technician duties and responsibilities

Maintenance foreman example responsibilities.

  • Manage all contract work including snow removal, mowing, asphalt work, and signage.
  • Complete inspections of boiler, coolers & HVAC systems as well as building security.
  • Repair all MHE equipment from pallet trucks to 80 ton Terex cranes and container stackers.
  • Include running various power equipment, including walk-behind and riding mowers, skid steers, and a backhoe.
  • Repair and replace light switches, wall outlets, ballast, breakers and all components and relate hardware.
  • Assist in design and installation of new panels and switches, establishing existing circuits and running wire and conduit.
  • 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 foreman vs maintenance technician skills

Common maintenance foreman skills
  • CDL, 9%
  • Plumbing, 9%
  • Maintenance Repairs, 6%
  • HVAC, 6%
  • Hand Tools, 5%
  • Safety Standards, 5%
Common maintenance technician skills
  • Plumbing, 10%
  • HVAC, 8%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Ladders, 4%
  • Electrical Systems, 4%

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