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The differences between maintenance operators and operators 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 an operator. Additionally, an operator has an average salary of $37,928, 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 an operator are safety procedures, CDL, and emergency calls.
| Maintenance Operator | Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $35,420 | $37,928 |
| Hourly rate | $17.03 | $18.23 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 142,679 | 159,077 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Average age | 47 | 43 |
| 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.
Operators are skilled workers who are in charge of working on an industrial machine or a specific aspect of the manufacturing business. They are trained to operate machines, learning how to use them. They are also responsible for the maintenance and repair of the machine, and they should be able to troubleshoot problems and provide remedies to them. They must be knowledgeable about the different parts of the machine and how to mitigate any challenges that may arise. Operators should be alert, detail-oriented, and familiar with safety and health guidelines.
Maintenance operators and operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Maintenance Operator | Operator | |
| Average salary | $35,420 | $37,928 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $47,000 | Between $27,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | Continental Resources | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a maintenance operator and an operator in terms of educational background:
| Maintenance Operator | Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between maintenance operators' and operators' demographics:
| Maintenance Operator | Operator | |
| Average age | 47 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0% |
| 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, 16.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 4% |