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The differences between manufacturing maintenance technicians and plant 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 manufacturing maintenance technician and a plant technician. Additionally, a manufacturing maintenance technician has an average salary of $51,440, which is higher than the $46,164 average annual salary of a plant technician.
The top three skills for a manufacturing maintenance technician include troubleshoot, preventative maintenance and PLC. The most important skills for a plant technician are preventive maintenance, ladders, and data collection.
| Manufacturing Maintenance Technician | Plant Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $51,440 | $46,164 |
| Hourly rate | $24.73 | $22.19 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 153,877 | 146,543 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Manufacturing Maintenance Technician is in charge of performing regular maintenance checks and repairs in manufacturing equipment to ensure that production operations run smoothly and efficiently. Their responsibilities include understanding and utilizing blueprints and schematics, addressing issues and concerns, troubleshooting problems, conducting inspections, performing installations and adjustments, maintaining records, and replacing or fixing components and tools. Moreover, a Manufacturing Maintenance Technician may also provide technical support among staff while promoting and enforcing safety policies and regulations.
A plant technician is in charge of overseeing plant operations, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Their responsibilities include installing and upgrading machines and equipment, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems, implementing solutions to vulnerable or problem areas, and developing strategies to optimize plant operations. They must also perform regular maintenance checks, conducting corrective measures and adjustments as needed. Furthermore, a plant technician must provide technical support to employees, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Manufacturing maintenance technicians and plant technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Maintenance Technician | Plant Technician | |
| Average salary | $51,440 | $46,164 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $64,000 | Between $31,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Kent, WA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Reckitt Benckiser | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing maintenance technician and a plant technician in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Maintenance Technician | Plant Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between manufacturing maintenance technicians' and plant technicians' demographics:
| Manufacturing Maintenance Technician | Plant Technician | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.4% Female, 7.6% | Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 4.8% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |