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The differences between maintenance operators and 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 maintenance technician. Additionally, a maintenance technician has an average salary of $43,293, 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 technician are plumbing, HVAC, and hand tools.
| Maintenance Operator | Maintenance Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $35,420 | $43,293 |
| Hourly rate | $17.03 | $20.81 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 142,679 | 178,450 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.25 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| 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.
Maintenance technicians are technicians who specialize in the preservation of office facilities. They have in-depth knowledge of how various office equipment or fixtures work so that they can immediately identify how to repair them in case of breakdowns. Maintenance technicians perform diagnostics and routine maintenance activities to ensure that everything in the office is running well. They immediately repair problems in fixtures or equipment to avoid any further damages or safety concerns. They should be familiar with occupational safety and health standards to ensure that the office is a safe place to work.
Maintenance operators and maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Maintenance Operator | Maintenance Technician | |
| Average salary | $35,420 | $43,293 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $47,000 | Between $31,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Continental Resources | Anheuser-Busch |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a maintenance operator and a maintenance technician in terms of educational background:
| Maintenance Operator | Maintenance Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between maintenance operators' and maintenance technicians' demographics:
| Maintenance Operator | Maintenance Technician | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3% |
| 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, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 4.6% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |