Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between plant maintenance supervisors and maintenance engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a plant maintenance supervisor and a maintenance engineer. Additionally, a plant maintenance supervisor has an average salary of $48,355, which is higher than the $47,133 average annual salary of a maintenance engineer.
The top three skills for a plant maintenance supervisor include safety procedures, production lines and USDA. The most important skills for a maintenance engineer are plumbing, HVAC, and guest rooms.
| Plant Maintenance Supervisor | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $48,355 | $47,133 |
| Hourly rate | $23.25 | $22.66 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 90,042 | 97,957 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 49 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Plant maintenance supervisors must have a high school diploma or GED at minimum, though some employers will prefer candidates with an associate degree or bachelor's degree. This position requires preventative maintenance skills, knowledge of plant equipment, and understanding of safety procedures. Plant maintenance supervisors supervise a team and maintain the operations of plant systems.
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.
Plant maintenance supervisors and maintenance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plant Maintenance Supervisor | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $48,355 | $47,133 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $76,000 | Between $29,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Leandro, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Altice USA | Halliburton |
| Best paying industry | Construction | - |
There are a few differences between a plant maintenance supervisor and a maintenance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Plant Maintenance Supervisor | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred | - |
Here are the differences between plant maintenance supervisors' and maintenance engineers' demographics:
| Plant Maintenance Supervisor | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Average age | 49 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9% | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 2.1% White, 68.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | 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 | 4% | 2% |