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Maintenance technician vs millwright

The differences between maintenance technicians and millwrights 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 millwright takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a millwright has an average salary of $51,176, 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 millwright are hand tools, hoists, and dismantle.

Maintenance technician vs millwright overview

Maintenance TechnicianMillwright
Yearly salary$43,293$51,176
Hourly rate$20.81$24.60
Growth rate5%14%
Number of jobs178,450102,942
Job satisfaction4.25-
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 34%High School Diploma, 45%
Average age4749
Years of experience46

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 millwright do?

A millwright is responsible for maintaining and operating machinery from necessary to advanced systems. Millwrights install and upgrade machine components for optimization through analyzing blueprints and specifications. They calibrate machinery and run diagnostic tests to ensure all equipment's high-quality performance for safe and smooth operations. A millwright must adhere to the workplace's safety procedures all the time to prevent hazards and delays. A millwright must have a broad knowledge of the technical and mechanical industry to set up equipment and repair defective machines.

Maintenance technician vs millwright salary

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

Maintenance TechnicianMillwright
Average salary$43,293$51,176
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $59,000Between $36,000 And $72,000
Highest paying CityRichmond, CALincoln, CA
Highest paying stateRhode IslandNevada
Best paying companyAnheuser-BuschCVR Energy
Best paying industryManufacturingFinance

Differences between maintenance technician and millwright education

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

Maintenance TechnicianMillwright
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 34%High School Diploma, 45%
Most common majorElectrical Engineering TechnologyPrecision Metal Working
Most common college--

Maintenance technician vs millwright demographics

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

Maintenance TechnicianMillwright
Average age4749
Gender ratioMale, 95.7% Female, 4.3%Male, 96.6% Female, 3.4%
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, 3.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 1.1% White, 81.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage2%2%

Differences between maintenance technician and millwright 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

Millwright example responsibilities.

  • Used cranes, fork trucks, hoist pulleys, dollies and rollers to complete job properly and effectively.
  • Transport machine parts, tools, equipment and other material between work areas and storage using cranes, hoists or dollies.
  • Operate machine tools such as lathes and grinders to fabricate parts require during overhaul, maintenance or set-up of machinery.
  • Advance drafting and cnc programming.
  • Assign to FCC maintenance team.
  • Design and fabricate machinery moving dollies.
  • Show more

Maintenance technician vs millwright skills

Common maintenance technician skills
  • Plumbing, 10%
  • HVAC, 8%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Ladders, 4%
  • Electrical Systems, 4%
Common millwright skills
  • Hand Tools, 15%
  • Hoists, 8%
  • Dismantle, 8%
  • Work Ethic, 5%
  • Cranes, 4%
  • Preventative Maintenance, 4%

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