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The differences between maintenance helpers and facility 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 helper and a facility maintenance technician. Additionally, a facility maintenance technician has an average salary of $39,575, which is higher than the $30,824 average annual salary of a maintenance helper.
The top three skills for a maintenance helper include hand tools, plumbing and ladders. The most important skills for a facility maintenance technician are plumbing, HVAC, and hand tools.
| Maintenance Helper | Facility Maintenance Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $30,824 | $39,575 |
| Hourly rate | $14.82 | $19.03 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 105,592 | 171,217 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A maintenance helper performs basic support tasks to assist maintenance technicians in installing and repairing machines and equipment. Their responsibilities typically include gathering and handing tools, changing fixtures such as light bulbs and faucets, preparing workspaces, and cleaning work areas and equipment. They may also liaise with vendors or suppliers, build positive relationships with clients, and handle calls and correspondence. Moreover, maintenance helper must utilize their experiences to learn more complex tasks and gain industry insight.
A facility maintenance technician is responsible for inspecting the safety and security of the facilities, including the operational tools, equipment, and machinery, to avoid potential hazards in the production area and maintain timely project deliverables. Facility maintenance technicians perform a regular check on the equipment, identifying glitches and inconsistencies, and repairing defective components to avoid delays in operation. They also install and assemble new machines, requiring them to have comprehensive knowledge of reading schematics and blueprints. A facility maintenance technician records incident reports and suggests immediate safety actions to management.
Maintenance helpers and facility maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Maintenance Helper | Facility Maintenance Technician | |
| Average salary | $30,824 | $39,575 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $40,000 | Between $29,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairbanks, AK | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Analogic | The American Musical and Dramatic Academy |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a maintenance helper and a facility maintenance technician in terms of educational background:
| Maintenance Helper | Facility Maintenance Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between maintenance helpers' and facility maintenance technicians' demographics:
| Maintenance Helper | Facility Maintenance Technician | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.5% Female, 10.5% | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 4.5% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 4.5% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |