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The differences between maintenance operators and general maintenance mechanics 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 general maintenance mechanic. Additionally, a general maintenance mechanic has an average salary of $37,631, 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 general maintenance mechanic are plumbing, HVAC, and customer service.
| Maintenance Operator | General Maintenance Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $35,420 | $37,631 |
| Hourly rate | $17.03 | $18.09 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 142,679 | 167,937 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| 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 general maintenance mechanic is responsible for ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of the facilities and inspecting the condition and performance of the equipment and machinery for business operations and processes. General maintenance mechanics handle equipment repairs and replacement of defective components, requiring them to have extensive knowledge of the mechanical industry. They also install and assemble equipment by analyzing mechanical schematics and blueprints accurately. A general maintenance mechanic creates a comprehensive schedule of inspection, repairs, and quality control checks to preserve the safe standards of the premises.
Maintenance operators and general maintenance mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Maintenance Operator | General Maintenance Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $35,420 | $37,631 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $47,000 | Between $27,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Santa Clara, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Continental Resources | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a maintenance operator and a general maintenance mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Maintenance Operator | General Maintenance Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between maintenance operators' and general maintenance mechanics' demographics:
| Maintenance Operator | General Maintenance Mechanic | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4% |
| 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, 10.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 4.5% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |