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The differences between maintenance planners and senior mechanics 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 planner and a senior mechanic. Additionally, a maintenance planner has an average salary of $57,625, which is higher than the $51,569 average annual salary of a senior mechanic.
The top three skills for a maintenance planner include CMMS, maintenance planning and maintenance tasks. The most important skills for a senior mechanic are hand tools, preventive maintenance, and HVAC.
| Maintenance Planner | Senior Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $57,625 | $51,569 |
| Hourly rate | $27.70 | $24.79 |
| Growth rate | -3% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 71,145 | 85,706 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A maintenance planner is responsible for maintaining the efficiency and optimal performance of the operational tools, equipment, and machinery. Maintenance planners assist with the personnel's request for equipment repairs, requiring them to have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry to identify inconsistencies and glitches and perform immediate troubleshooting. They schedule maintenance routine checks, upgrade component features, and replace malfunctioning parts as needed. A maintenance planner also supports the staff on the proper usage of machinery by creating procedural manuals and demonstrations.
A senior mechanic builds machines or mechanical components based on client specifications and requirements. As a senior mechanic, you will perform a variety of duties that include performing technical inspections on corrective maintenance, vehicle armor and services, monitoring and supporting day-to-day facility and production operations, and troubleshooting problems. Additionally, you will perform preventative maintenance on equipment, generators, and vehicles, and conducting research on parts repair. You will also perform various custodial and maintenance duties as requested.
Maintenance planners and senior mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Maintenance Planner | Senior Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $57,625 | $51,569 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $84,000 | Between $37,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fremont, CA | Roseville, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | CVR Energy | Orange County Sanitation District |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Energy |
There are a few differences between a maintenance planner and a senior mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Maintenance Planner | Senior Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Business | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between maintenance planners' and senior mechanics' demographics:
| Maintenance Planner | Senior Mechanic | |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.6% Female, 14.4% | Male, 96.0% Female, 4.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 2.1% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 2.1% White, 68.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |