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The differences between plant utilities engineers and maintenance people 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 utilities engineer and a maintenance person. Additionally, a plant utilities engineer has an average salary of $51,200, which is higher than the $33,656 average annual salary of a maintenance person.
The top three skills for a plant utilities engineer include ventilation, plant utilities and loaders. The most important skills for a maintenance person are cleanliness, HVAC, and delivery truck.
Plant utilities engineers must have basic knowledge of commercial electrical systems and testing equipment, high temperature water distribution, and HVAC control systems. Qualifications will vary depending on the company; they range from a high school diploma or GED to associate degrees in plant utilities technology or completion of a trade school program. Those who choose this career will be expected to maintain and operate the mechanical equipment in a utilities plant.
The duties of a maintenance person depend on one's line of work or place of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around conducting regular inspections within an establishment, performing necessary repairs and corrective measures on wirings or machines, installing devices, and responding to any inquiries or concerns. Moreover, there are also instances where they have to clean their work areas, organize their tools and equipment, and diagnose issues. Should there be any problems, it is essential to report to the manager or supervisor right away.
Plant utilities engineers and maintenance people have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plant Utilities Engineer | Maintenance Person | |
| Average salary | $51,200 | $33,656 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $74,000 | Between $25,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | Waipahu, HI | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Bristol-Myers Squibb | IDEX |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a plant utilities engineer and a maintenance person in terms of educational background:
| Plant Utilities Engineer | Maintenance Person | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between plant utilities engineers' and maintenance people' demographics:
| Plant Utilities Engineer | Maintenance Person | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.7% Female, 11.3% | Male, 94.3% Female, 5.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 5.4% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 4.6% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |