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The differences between maintenance operators and maintenance engineers technician 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 maintenance engineer technician. Additionally, a maintenance engineer technician has an average salary of $46,248, 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 maintenance engineer technician are preventive maintenance, plumbing, and HVAC.
| Maintenance Operator | Maintenance Engineer Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $35,420 | $46,248 |
| Hourly rate | $17.03 | $22.23 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 142,679 | 195,560 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Associate Degree, 42% |
| 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 maintenance engineer technician serves as an apprentice that monitors and ensures that the machinery and equipment are working properly. Their job requires extensive knowledge and skills in fixing and repairing different equipment in an office and other facilities. They will often have to multitask, and the schedule may be flexible depending on the needs of the company.
Maintenance operators and maintenance engineers technician have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Maintenance Operator | Maintenance Engineer Technician | |
| Average salary | $35,420 | $46,248 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $47,000 | Between $31,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Des Moines, IA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Minnesota |
| Best paying company | Continental Resources | AbbVie |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a maintenance operator and a maintenance engineer technician in terms of educational background:
| Maintenance Operator | Maintenance Engineer Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Associate Degree, 42% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between maintenance operators' and maintenance engineers technician' demographics:
| Maintenance Operator | Maintenance Engineer Technician | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6% |
| 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, 11.0% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 4.5% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |