Post job

Maintenance technician vs senior maintenance technician

The differences between maintenance technicians and senior 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 a senior maintenance technician. Additionally, a senior maintenance technician has an average salary of $51,970, 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 senior maintenance technician are HVAC, plumbing, and customer service.

Maintenance technician vs senior maintenance technician overview

Maintenance TechnicianSenior Maintenance Technician
Yearly salary$43,293$51,970
Hourly rate$20.81$24.99
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs178,450137,443
Job satisfaction4.25-
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 34%Associate Degree, 42%
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 a senior maintenance technician do?

A senior maintenance technician is responsible for the maintenance and repairs of an establishment or household's electrical and mechanical systems. Senior maintenance technicians handle the installation of ventilation systems, as well as the inspection of equipment and machinery, to ensure optimal performance and efficiency for business operations. They also monitor the adequacy of inventories needed to set up systems and other functionalities. A senior maintenance technician must have excellent organizational and mechanical skills and the ability to follow safety procedures and processes during operations.

Maintenance technician vs senior maintenance technician salary

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

Maintenance TechnicianSenior Maintenance Technician
Average salary$43,293$51,970
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $59,000Between $37,000 And $71,000
Highest paying CityRichmond, CASacramento, CA
Highest paying stateRhode IslandAlaska
Best paying companyAnheuser-BuschEssex Property Trust
Best paying industryManufacturingTechnology

Differences between maintenance technician and senior maintenance technician education

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

Maintenance TechnicianSenior Maintenance Technician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 34%Associate Degree, 42%
Most common majorElectrical Engineering TechnologyElectrical Engineering
Most common college--

Maintenance technician vs senior maintenance technician demographics

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

Maintenance TechnicianSenior Maintenance Technician
Average age4747
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, 10.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 4.5% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage2%2%

Differences between maintenance technician and senior 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

Senior maintenance technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage all hazardous materials generate by shop operations and ensure safety requirements are met in accordance to OSHA standards.
  • Upgrade and implement well-defined CMMS to better track preventative and predictive maintenance.
  • Climb vertical ladders, work at heights.
  • Experience with gaffs, safety harness, bucket truck, and ladders.
  • Assist in the creation of the PLC back-up program that is currently in use.
  • Subject matter expert responsible for PLC systems and furnace systems throughout a 4 plant campus.
  • Show more

Maintenance technician vs senior maintenance technician skills

Common maintenance technician skills
  • Plumbing, 10%
  • HVAC, 8%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Ladders, 4%
  • Electrical Systems, 4%
Common senior maintenance technician skills
  • HVAC, 8%
  • Plumbing, 7%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Ladders, 6%
  • PLC, 6%
  • CMMS, 5%

Browse installation, maintenance and repair jobs