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The differences between maintenance operators and maintenance people 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 person. Additionally, a maintenance operator has an average salary of $35,420, which is higher than the $33,656 average annual salary of a maintenance person.
The top three skills for a maintenance operator include hand tools, CDL and preventative maintenance. The most important skills for a maintenance person are cleanliness, HVAC, and delivery truck.
| Maintenance Operator | Maintenance Person | |
| Yearly salary | $35,420 | $33,656 |
| Hourly rate | $17.03 | $16.18 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 142,679 | 122,946 |
| 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.
The duties of a maintenance person depend on one's line of work or place of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around conducting regular inspections within an establishment, performing necessary repairs and corrective measures on wirings or machines, installing devices, and responding to any inquiries or concerns. Moreover, there are also instances where they have to clean their work areas, organize their tools and equipment, and diagnose issues. Should there be any problems, it is essential to report to the manager or supervisor right away.
Maintenance operators and maintenance people have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Maintenance Operator | Maintenance Person | |
| Average salary | $35,420 | $33,656 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $47,000 | Between $25,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Continental Resources | IDEX |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a maintenance operator and a maintenance person in terms of educational background:
| Maintenance Operator | Maintenance Person | |
| 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 maintenance people' demographics:
| Maintenance Operator | Maintenance Person | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 94.3% Female, 5.7% |
| 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, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 4.6% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |