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Maintenance technician vs equipment maintenance technician

The differences between maintenance technicians and equipment 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 technician and an equipment maintenance technician. Additionally, an equipment maintenance technician has an average salary of $45,945, which is higher than the $43,293 average annual salary of a maintenance technician.

The top three skills for a maintenance technician include plumbing, HVAC and hand tools. The most important skills for an equipment maintenance technician are equipment maintenance, hand tools, and preventive maintenance.

Maintenance technician vs equipment maintenance technician overview

Maintenance TechnicianEquipment Maintenance Technician
Yearly salary$43,293$45,945
Hourly rate$20.81$22.09
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs178,450168,523
Job satisfaction4.25-
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 34%Associate Degree, 51%
Average age4747
Years of experience44

What does a maintenance technician do?

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.

What does an equipment maintenance technician do?

An equipment maintenance technician is responsible for ensuring the stability and efficiency of all production tools and equipment to support smooth business functions and operations. Equipment maintenance technicians conduct regular maintenance for optimization, repair defective components, and inspect equipment parts to identify possible upgrades and replacements. They also assemble equipment and machinery, requiring them to have excellent mechanical and critical-thinking skills to analyze schematics and blueprints accurately. An equipment maintenance technician must be highly communicative and organizational, especially in adhering to the highest safety standards and protocols during operations.

Maintenance technician vs equipment maintenance technician salary

Maintenance technicians and equipment maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Maintenance TechnicianEquipment Maintenance Technician
Average salary$43,293$45,945
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $59,000Between $35,000 And $60,000
Highest paying CityRichmond, CAHayward, CA
Highest paying stateRhode IslandAlaska
Best paying companyAnheuser-BuschVicor
Best paying industryManufacturingTechnology

Differences between maintenance technician and equipment maintenance technician education

There are a few differences between a maintenance technician and an equipment maintenance technician in terms of educational background:

Maintenance TechnicianEquipment Maintenance Technician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 34%Associate Degree, 51%
Most common majorElectrical Engineering TechnologyElectrical Engineering
Most common college--

Maintenance technician vs equipment maintenance technician demographics

Here are the differences between maintenance technicians' and equipment maintenance technicians' demographics:

Maintenance TechnicianEquipment Maintenance Technician
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 95.7% Female, 4.3%Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 22.2% Asian, 4.3% White, 58.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage2%2%

Differences between maintenance technician and equipment maintenance technician duties and responsibilities

Maintenance technician example responsibilities.

  • Install, repair and troubleshoot electrical wiring, including switches, outlets, lights, ballast.
  • Monitor and document all temperature readings on boilers, chillers, and dry vac systems beginning and mid shift.
  • Perform preventative maintenance checks and services on exhaust fans, boilers, chiller units, automatic transfer switches, and generators.
  • Repair electrical equipment; replace faulty electrical switches; repair refrigeration equipment.
  • Handle trouble-shooting and repair of mechanical systems refrigerant recovery and charging of HVAC systems.
  • Facilitate commercial plumbing, electrical, light HVAC, and carpentry repairs in a laboratory facility environment
  • Show more

Equipment maintenance technician example responsibilities.

  • Maintain and repair CNC milling machines.
  • Carry out lead mechanic and avionics duties.
  • Diagnose HVAC problems; installation of new vent motors.
  • Certify to operate man lifts, fork lifts, and overhead cranes.
  • Skil at extracting seize fasteners in hot sections, airframe assemblies and panels.
  • Work on single and double bridge overhead cranes that operate on 480vac or 250vdc.
  • Show more

Maintenance technician vs equipment maintenance technician skills

Common maintenance technician skills
  • Plumbing, 10%
  • HVAC, 8%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Ladders, 4%
  • Electrical Systems, 4%
Common equipment maintenance technician skills
  • Equipment Maintenance, 14%
  • Hand Tools, 9%
  • Preventive Maintenance, 8%
  • Maintenance Procedures, 5%
  • PLC, 4%
  • Production Equipment, 4%

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