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The differences between maintenance specialists and general maintenance 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 specialist and a general maintenance mechanic. Additionally, a maintenance specialist has an average salary of $41,690, which is higher than the $37,631 average annual salary of a general maintenance mechanic.
The top three skills for a maintenance specialist include plumbing, hand tools and HVAC. The most important skills for a general maintenance mechanic are plumbing, HVAC, and customer service.
| Maintenance Specialist | General Maintenance Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $41,690 | $37,631 |
| Hourly rate | $20.04 | $18.09 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 114,961 | 167,937 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A maintenance specialist is responsible for maintaining the company's technology equipment and machinery, as well as computer and network systems, and other related instruments to support the business operational functions, ensuring the highest client service and satisfaction. Maintenance specialists conduct preventive and repair maintenance, inspect defective lines and components, and perform troubleshooting to maintain optimal performance and service delivery. A maintenance specialist must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, especially when assisting the end-users with their concerns and inquiries.
A general maintenance mechanic is responsible for ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of the facilities and inspecting the condition and performance of the equipment and machinery for business operations and processes. General maintenance mechanics handle equipment repairs and replacement of defective components, requiring them to have extensive knowledge of the mechanical industry. They also install and assemble equipment by analyzing mechanical schematics and blueprints accurately. A general maintenance mechanic creates a comprehensive schedule of inspection, repairs, and quality control checks to preserve the safe standards of the premises.
Maintenance specialists and general maintenance mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Maintenance Specialist | General Maintenance Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $41,690 | $37,631 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $60,000 | Between $27,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | York, PA | Santa Clara, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Qorvo | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a maintenance specialist and a general maintenance mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Maintenance Specialist | General Maintenance Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between maintenance specialists' and general maintenance mechanics' demographics:
| Maintenance Specialist | General Maintenance Mechanic | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4% | Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 4.5% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 4.5% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |