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Maintenance technician vs maintenance electrician

The differences between maintenance technicians and maintenance electricians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a maintenance technician, becoming a maintenance electrician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a maintenance electrician has an average salary of $62,112, 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 a maintenance electrician are electrical equipment, hand tools, and preventative maintenance.

Maintenance technician vs maintenance electrician overview

Maintenance TechnicianMaintenance Electrician
Yearly salary$43,293$62,112
Hourly rate$20.81$29.86
Growth rate5%7%
Number of jobs178,45092,944
Job satisfaction4.254
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 34%Associate Degree, 44%
Average age4742
Years of experience412

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 a maintenance electrician do?

A maintenance electrician is responsible for monitoring the electrical systems of a building, inspecting the wiring and cables for any malfunctions, and perform preventive maintenance as needed to ensure its safety and efficiency. Maintenance electricians upgrade electrical network systems for optimal performance and replacing faulty wiring, as well as installing new equipment in the building as the management advises. They also analyze schematics and blueprints for electrical line placements and running diagnostic tests to identify possible defects for immediate resolution. A maintenance electrician must have excellent knowledge of the electrical industry, especially on recording maintenance reports and solutions.

Maintenance technician vs maintenance electrician salary

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

Maintenance TechnicianMaintenance Electrician
Average salary$43,293$62,112
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $59,000Between $46,000 And $83,000
Highest paying CityRichmond, CASaint Paul, MN
Highest paying stateRhode IslandMassachusetts
Best paying companyAnheuser-BuschPBF Energy
Best paying industryManufacturingAutomotive

Differences between maintenance technician and maintenance electrician education

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

Maintenance TechnicianMaintenance Electrician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 34%Associate Degree, 44%
Most common majorElectrical Engineering TechnologyElectrical Engineering Technology
Most common college--

Maintenance technician vs maintenance electrician demographics

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

Maintenance TechnicianMaintenance Electrician
Average age4742
Gender ratioMale, 95.7% Female, 4.3%Male, 96.8% Female, 3.2%
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, 9.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 2.3% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage2%3%

Differences between maintenance technician and maintenance electrician 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

Maintenance electrician example responsibilities.

  • Calibrate emission transmitters, gas leak detectors and O2 analyzers.
  • Change any bad solenoids on machines.
  • Maintain and repair machinery operate on high voltage DC.
  • Maintain CMMS program and obtain data for continuous improvement.
  • Train in the safe operation and use of ladders and scaffolding!
  • Measure devices, including analyzers, amp meters and volt-ohm meters.
  • Show more

Maintenance technician vs maintenance electrician skills

Common maintenance technician skills
  • Plumbing, 10%
  • HVAC, 8%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Ladders, 4%
  • Electrical Systems, 4%
Common maintenance electrician skills
  • Electrical Equipment, 7%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Preventative Maintenance, 6%
  • Electrical Systems, 5%
  • Ladders, 4%
  • Production Equipment, 3%

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