Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between maintenance helpers and preventive 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 preventive maintenance technician. Additionally, a preventive maintenance technician has an average salary of $40,935, 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 preventive maintenance technician are customer service, hand tools, and HVAC.
| Maintenance Helper | Preventive Maintenance Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $30,824 | $40,935 |
| Hourly rate | $14.82 | $19.68 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 105,592 | 170,517 |
| 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 preventive maintenance technician performs routine facility maintenance to prevent possible mechanical failure. The technicians change worn out machine parts before they can cause mechanical damage. They keep the facility operating. It is their job to conduct quality assessments, maintain inventory, and schedule repairs. Also, they see to it that machines are up and running at all times. They are expected to be equipped with skills in customer service, problem-solving, reading comprehension, business operation, and mechanical aptitude.
Maintenance helpers and preventive maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Maintenance Helper | Preventive Maintenance Technician | |
| Average salary | $30,824 | $40,935 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $40,000 | Between $31,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairbanks, AK | Owatonna, MN |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Analogic | Kiewit |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a maintenance helper and a preventive maintenance technician in terms of educational background:
| Maintenance Helper | Preventive Maintenance Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Business | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between maintenance helpers' and preventive maintenance technicians' demographics:
| Maintenance Helper | Preventive Maintenance Technician | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.5% Female, 10.5% | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |