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The differences between refrigeration technicians and preventive 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 refrigeration technician and a preventive maintenance technician. Additionally, a refrigeration technician has an average salary of $50,701, which is higher than the $40,935 average annual salary of a preventive maintenance technician.
The top three skills for a refrigeration technician include preventative maintenance, hand tools and ladders. The most important skills for a preventive maintenance technician are customer service, hand tools, and HVAC.
| Refrigeration Technician | Preventive Maintenance Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $50,701 | $40,935 |
| Hourly rate | $24.38 | $19.68 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 131,115 | 170,517 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 31% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Average age | 40 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A refrigeration technician is responsible for managing refrigeration and cooling systems for private households and commercial establishments. Refrigeration technicians install refrigeration components, requiring them to have an excellent analysis of blueprints and schematics. They inspect the system components and inform the household owners and management for preventive maintenance and troubleshooting for minor defects and inconsistencies, as well as calculating costs and materials for repairs. A refrigeration technician must be well-equipped with mechanical knowledge to identify failures and upgrade units as necessary.
A preventive maintenance technician performs routine facility maintenance to prevent possible mechanical failure. The technicians change worn out machine parts before they can cause mechanical damage. They keep the facility operating. It is their job to conduct quality assessments, maintain inventory, and schedule repairs. Also, they see to it that machines are up and running at all times. They are expected to be equipped with skills in customer service, problem-solving, reading comprehension, business operation, and mechanical aptitude.
Refrigeration technicians and preventive maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Refrigeration Technician | Preventive Maintenance Technician | |
| Average salary | $50,701 | $40,935 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $75,000 | Between $31,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Owatonna, MN |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Micron Technology | Kiewit |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a refrigeration technician and a preventive maintenance technician in terms of educational background:
| Refrigeration Technician | Preventive Maintenance Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 31% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Heating And Air Conditioning | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between refrigeration technicians' and preventive maintenance technicians' demographics:
| Refrigeration Technician | Preventive Maintenance Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 97.2% Female, 2.8% | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 23.7% Asian, 2.5% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |