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Mechanical maintenance supervisor vs maintenance technician

The differences between mechanical maintenance supervisors and 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 mechanical maintenance supervisor and a maintenance technician. Additionally, a mechanical maintenance supervisor has an average salary of $74,298, which is higher than the $43,293 average annual salary of a maintenance technician.

The top three skills for a mechanical maintenance supervisor include preventative maintenance, CMMS and equipment maintenance. The most important skills for a maintenance technician are plumbing, HVAC, and hand tools.

Mechanical maintenance supervisor vs maintenance technician overview

Mechanical Maintenance SupervisorMaintenance Technician
Yearly salary$74,298$43,293
Hourly rate$35.72$20.81
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs97,565178,450
Job satisfaction-4.25
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%High School Diploma, 34%
Average age4947
Years of experience44

What does a mechanical maintenance supervisor do?

A mechanical maintenance supervisor oversees the daily maintenance of machinery and systems in buildings or establishments. They manage teams of mechanics and technicians, supervise and coordinate maintenance activities, liaise with external parties such as vendors and suppliers, process the procurement of supplies, delegate tasks and responsibilities among staff, and develop action plans and strategies to optimize operations. Moreover, a mechanical maintenance supervisor regularly conducts inspections and maintenance checks to ensure everything complies with the company's safety standards and regulations.

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.

Mechanical maintenance supervisor vs maintenance technician salary

Mechanical maintenance supervisors and maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Mechanical Maintenance SupervisorMaintenance Technician
Average salary$74,298$43,293
Salary rangeBetween $58,000 And $95,000Between $31,000 And $59,000
Highest paying CityHayward, CARichmond, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaRhode Island
Best paying companyMacy'sAnheuser-Busch
Best paying industryHospitalityManufacturing

Differences between mechanical maintenance supervisor and maintenance technician education

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

Mechanical Maintenance SupervisorMaintenance Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%High School Diploma, 34%
Most common majorAutomotive TechnologyElectrical Engineering Technology
Most common collegeSUNY College of Technology at Alfred-

Mechanical maintenance supervisor vs maintenance technician demographics

Here are the differences between mechanical maintenance supervisors' and maintenance technicians' demographics:

Mechanical Maintenance SupervisorMaintenance Technician
Average age4947
Gender ratioMale, 97.1% Female, 2.9%Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 2.1% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%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%
LGBT Percentage4%2%

Differences between mechanical maintenance supervisor and maintenance technician duties and responsibilities

Mechanical maintenance supervisor example responsibilities.

  • Maintain OEE on all equipment to achieve run performance goals and to produce 500MM pounds of finish product a year.
  • Complete facility maintenance - electrical, mechanical, HVAC, welding, machining, machine set-up, trouble-shoot, etc.
  • Perform preventative and corrective maintenance on mechanical equipment and repair HVAC.
  • Maintain CMMS work order status.
  • Replace PLC modules and track down issues in programs where equipment is malfunctioning.
  • Experience with control system and PLC experience, power plants, generators, change over automatic or manual switches.
  • Show more

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

Mechanical maintenance supervisor vs maintenance technician skills

Common mechanical maintenance supervisor skills
  • Preventative Maintenance, 10%
  • CMMS, 8%
  • Equipment Maintenance, 6%
  • Plumbing, 5%
  • HVAC, 5%
  • Safety Procedures, 5%
Common maintenance technician skills
  • Plumbing, 10%
  • HVAC, 8%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Ladders, 4%
  • Electrical Systems, 4%

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