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The differences between maintenance operators and maintenance workers 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 worker. Additionally, a maintenance worker has an average salary of $36,132, 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 worker are plumbing, GRASS, and general maintenance.
| Maintenance Operator | Maintenance Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $35,420 | $36,132 |
| Hourly rate | $17.03 | $17.37 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 142,679 | 115,130 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 48% |
| 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 workers are employees assigned to oversee the equipment, furniture, and fixtures in the office. They ensure that these items work correctly by doing routine check-ups, identifying any problems, anticipating challenges, sourcing for spare parts, and repairing problems. They also ensure that all the equipment, furniture, and fixtures are clean and always ready for use. They should be familiar with all the official instructions and procedures to ensure that they can adequately care for these items. They may also handle the installation of any new equipment.
Maintenance operators and maintenance workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Maintenance Operator | Maintenance Worker | |
| Average salary | $35,420 | $36,132 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $47,000 | Between $25,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Continental Resources | ABB |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a maintenance operator and a maintenance worker in terms of educational background:
| Maintenance Operator | Maintenance Worker | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between maintenance operators' and maintenance workers' demographics:
| Maintenance Operator | Maintenance Worker | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 88.0% Female, 12.0% |
| 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, 10.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 4.5% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |