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The differences between residential electricians and maintenance electricians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a residential electrician and a maintenance electrician. Additionally, a maintenance electrician has an average salary of $62,112, which is higher than the $60,514 average annual salary of a residential electrician.
The top three skills for a residential electrician include work ethic, hand tools and electrical equipment. The most important skills for a maintenance electrician are electrical equipment, hand tools, and preventative maintenance.
| Residential Electrician | Maintenance Electrician | |
| Yearly salary | $60,514 | $62,112 |
| Hourly rate | $29.09 | $29.86 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 22,406 | 92,944 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | Associate Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Residential Electricians are skilled tradespersons responsible for inspecting, repairing, installing, and maintaining wiring and electrical systems in residential buildings. Their duties include interpreting blueprints and technical drawings, examining electrical components, diagnosing electrical systems and wiring problems as well as installing new wiring and electrical components. Besides that, they also ensure that electrical systems are installed to adhere to local and national directives. They must know about utilizing devices to detect electrical problems. Residential electricians assist in training workers in inspection, repairing, and installation work.
A maintenance electrician is responsible for monitoring the electrical systems of a building, inspecting the wiring and cables for any malfunctions, and perform preventive maintenance as needed to ensure its safety and efficiency. Maintenance electricians upgrade electrical network systems for optimal performance and replacing faulty wiring, as well as installing new equipment in the building as the management advises. They also analyze schematics and blueprints for electrical line placements and running diagnostic tests to identify possible defects for immediate resolution. A maintenance electrician must have excellent knowledge of the electrical industry, especially on recording maintenance reports and solutions.
Residential electricians and maintenance electricians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Residential Electrician | Maintenance Electrician | |
| Average salary | $60,514 | $62,112 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $90,000 | Between $46,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Saint Paul, MN |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Constellation Energy Partners | PBF Energy |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a residential electrician and a maintenance electrician in terms of educational background:
| Residential Electrician | Maintenance Electrician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | Associate Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering Technology | Electrical Engineering Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between residential electricians' and maintenance electricians' demographics:
| Residential Electrician | Maintenance Electrician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.7% Female, 3.3% | Male, 96.8% Female, 3.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 21.3% Asian, 2.2% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 2.3% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 3% |