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The differences between service and repair 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 service and repair technician and a preventive maintenance technician. Additionally, a service and repair technician has an average salary of $42,099, which is higher than the $40,935 average annual salary of a preventive maintenance technician.
The top three skills for a service and repair technician include dishwashers, test equipment and HVAC. The most important skills for a preventive maintenance technician are customer service, hand tools, and HVAC.
| Service And Repair Technician | Preventive Maintenance Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $42,099 | $40,935 |
| Hourly rate | $20.24 | $19.68 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 193,706 | 170,517 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 36% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Service and repair technicians install, maintains, or repair equipment and often travel to customer's location to provide service and maintenance. They are also known as field service technicians who have technical knowledge and skills to be able to install and conduct product testing or demo to properly instruct customers on the proper usage of the product. Also, they provide preventive maintenance procedures to prevent damage to the equipment, diagnose problems and make repairs. The job involves various services depending on the area of experience and expertise.
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.
Service and repair technicians and preventive maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Service And Repair Technician | Preventive Maintenance Technician | |
| Average salary | $42,099 | $40,935 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $60,000 | Between $31,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Owatonna, MN |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Plug Power | Kiewit |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a service and repair technician and a preventive maintenance technician in terms of educational background:
| Service And Repair Technician | Preventive Maintenance Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 36% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between service and repair technicians' and preventive maintenance technicians' demographics:
| Service And Repair Technician | Preventive Maintenance Technician | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7% | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 4.6% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | 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% |