Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between plant utilities engineers 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 plant utilities engineer and a maintenance technician. Additionally, a plant utilities engineer has an average salary of $51,200, which is higher than the $43,293 average annual salary of a maintenance technician.
The top three skills for a plant utilities engineer include ventilation, plant utilities and loaders. The most important skills for a maintenance technician are plumbing, HVAC, and hand tools.
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.
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.
Plant utilities engineers and maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plant Utilities Engineer | Maintenance Technician | |
| Average salary | $51,200 | $43,293 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $74,000 | Between $31,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Waipahu, HI | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Bristol-Myers Squibb | Anheuser-Busch |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a plant utilities engineer and a maintenance technician in terms of educational background:
| Plant Utilities Engineer | Maintenance Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between plant utilities engineers' and maintenance technicians' demographics:
| Plant Utilities Engineer | Maintenance Technician | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.7% Female, 11.3% | Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3% |
| 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, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 4.6% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |