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The differences between operations engineers and maintenance engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an operations engineer, becoming a maintenance engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an operations engineer has an average salary of $91,522, which is higher than the $47,133 average annual salary of a maintenance engineer.
The top three skills for an operations engineer include python, cloud and AWS. The most important skills for a maintenance engineer are plumbing, HVAC, and guest rooms.
| Operations Engineer | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $91,522 | $47,133 |
| Hourly rate | $44.00 | $22.66 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 155,188 | 97,957 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
An operations engineer is an individual who is responsible for ensuring that the operations of a company are working properly in industries such as manufacturing or shipping. Operations engineers are required to handle repairs or upgrades to the company's machinery and coordinate with department heads to assist in fine-tuning their operations system. When they have upgraded their system, operations engineers should conduct training with managers as well as employees and other workers. They are also required to examine machinery for defects and communicate maintenance schedules with department heads.
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.
Operations engineers and maintenance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Operations Engineer | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $91,522 | $47,133 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $132,000 | Between $29,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Apple | Halliburton |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between an operations engineer and a maintenance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Operations Engineer | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | - |
Here are the differences between operations engineers' and maintenance engineers' demographics:
| Operations Engineer | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1% | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 10.6% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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 | 5% | 2% |