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The differences between maintenance helpers 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 helper and a maintenance technician. Additionally, a maintenance technician has an average salary of $43,293, 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 maintenance technician are plumbing, HVAC, and hand tools.
| Maintenance Helper | Maintenance Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $30,824 | $43,293 |
| Hourly rate | $14.82 | $20.81 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 105,592 | 178,450 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.25 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| 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.
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 helpers and maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Maintenance Helper | Maintenance Technician | |
| Average salary | $30,824 | $43,293 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $40,000 | Between $31,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairbanks, AK | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Analogic | Anheuser-Busch |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a maintenance helper and a maintenance technician in terms of educational background:
| Maintenance Helper | Maintenance Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between maintenance helpers' and maintenance technicians' demographics:
| Maintenance Helper | Maintenance Technician | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.5% Female, 10.5% | Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3% |
| 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, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 4.6% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |