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The differences between maintenance technicians and maintenance engineers 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 a maintenance engineer. Additionally, a maintenance engineer has an average salary of $47,133, 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 engineer are plumbing, HVAC, and guest rooms.
| Maintenance Technician | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $43,293 | $47,133 |
| Hourly rate | $20.81 | $22.66 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 178,450 | 97,957 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.25 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A maintenance engineer is responsible for the maintenance of industrial machinery and inspects equipment defects for immediate troubleshooting or replacement as needed. Maintenance engineers install and upgrade system components to improve system optimization and perform diagnostic systems to locate any adjustments. They also conduct routine checks, assist clients with technical faults, and ensure that the equipment works safely for certain operations. A maintenance engineer must have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry to address technical malfunctions immediately.
Maintenance technicians and maintenance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Maintenance Technician | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $43,293 | $47,133 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $59,000 | Between $29,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Anheuser-Busch | Halliburton |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | - |
There are a few differences between a maintenance technician and a maintenance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Maintenance Technician | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering Technology | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between maintenance technicians' and maintenance engineers' demographics:
| Maintenance Technician | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3% | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 10.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 4.4% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |