Post job

Plant maintenance supervisor vs senior maintenance technician

The differences between plant maintenance supervisors 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 plant maintenance supervisor and a senior maintenance technician. Additionally, a senior maintenance technician has an average salary of $51,970, which is higher than the $48,355 average annual salary of a plant maintenance supervisor.

The top three skills for a plant maintenance supervisor include safety procedures, production lines and USDA. The most important skills for a senior maintenance technician are HVAC, plumbing, and customer service.

Plant maintenance supervisor vs senior maintenance technician overview

Plant Maintenance SupervisorSenior Maintenance Technician
Yearly salary$48,355$51,970
Hourly rate$23.25$24.99
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs90,042137,443
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 36%Associate Degree, 42%
Average age4947
Years of experience44

What does a plant maintenance supervisor do?

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.

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.

Plant maintenance supervisor vs senior maintenance technician salary

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

Plant Maintenance SupervisorSenior Maintenance Technician
Average salary$48,355$51,970
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $76,000Between $37,000 And $71,000
Highest paying CitySan Leandro, CASacramento, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaAlaska
Best paying companyAltice USAEssex Property Trust
Best paying industryConstructionTechnology

Differences between plant maintenance supervisor and senior maintenance technician education

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

Plant Maintenance SupervisorSenior Maintenance Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 36%Associate Degree, 42%
Most common majorBusinessElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeSUNY College of Technology at Alfred-

Plant maintenance supervisor vs senior maintenance technician demographics

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

Plant Maintenance SupervisorSenior Maintenance Technician
Average age4947
Gender ratioMale, 94.1% Female, 5.9%Male, 96.8% Female, 3.2%
Race ratioBlack 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, 10.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 4.5% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage4%2%

Differences between plant maintenance supervisor and senior maintenance technician duties and responsibilities

Plant maintenance supervisor example responsibilities.

  • Maintain OEE on all equipment to achieve run performance goals and to produce 500MM pounds of finish product a year.
  • Supervise electricians, HVAC mechanics and plumbers.
  • Implement CMMS MP2 and supervise Sawgrass site maintain and update.
  • Make logic changes in PLC's as needed to support production.
  • Waste water controls, Allen Bradley, PLC and starch recovery.
  • Use of various environment controls- HVAC, fire protection apparatus and controls.
  • 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

Plant maintenance supervisor vs senior maintenance technician skills

Common plant maintenance supervisor skills
  • Safety Procedures, 12%
  • Production Lines, 9%
  • USDA, 7%
  • Plant Equipment, 5%
  • Plumbing, 5%
  • OSHA, 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