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The differences between maintenance operators 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 operator and a facility maintenance technician. Additionally, a facility maintenance technician has an average salary of $39,575, which is higher than the $35,420 average annual salary of a maintenance operator.
The top three skills for a maintenance operator include hand tools, CDL and preventative maintenance. The most important skills for a facility maintenance technician are plumbing, HVAC, and hand tools.
| Maintenance Operator | Facility Maintenance Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $35,420 | $39,575 |
| Hourly rate | $17.03 | $19.03 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 142,679 | 171,217 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Maintenance operators are skilled technicians who use a variety of small equipment and tools to perform and assist in the maintenance activities of a business establishment. These operators are required to assist the equipment manager in preparing preventative maintenance procedures so that they can increase productivity and reduce downtime of equipment. They must enforce safety rules and regulations and ensure that staff members are following them to prevent accidents in the facility. Maintenance operators must also train maintenance employees in performing proper preventative maintenance.
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 operators and facility maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Maintenance Operator | Facility Maintenance Technician | |
| Average salary | $35,420 | $39,575 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $47,000 | Between $29,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Continental Resources | The American Musical and Dramatic Academy |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a maintenance operator and a facility maintenance technician in terms of educational background:
| Maintenance Operator | Facility Maintenance Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between maintenance operators' and facility maintenance technicians' demographics:
| Maintenance Operator | Facility Maintenance Technician | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 4.6% White, 60.0% 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% |