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The differences between service mechanical technicians and maintenance technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a service mechanical technician, becoming a maintenance technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a service mechanical technician has an average salary of $47,820, which is higher than the $43,293 average annual salary of a maintenance technician.
The top three skills for a service mechanical technician include customer service, diagnosis and hydraulic systems. The most important skills for a maintenance technician are plumbing, HVAC, and hand tools.
| Service Mechanical Technician | Maintenance Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $47,820 | $43,293 |
| Hourly rate | $22.99 | $20.81 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 146,216 | 178,450 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.25 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 33% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| Average age | 45 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A service mechanical technician specializes in installing and repairing mechanical equipment and systems. Although the extent of their responsibilities differs upon their industry of employment, it typically includes working together with engineers in developing and testing equipment, troubleshooting problems, performing adjustments and calibrations, maintaining records, and performing regular maintenance checks to ensure the equipment's quality and capacity. Moreover, a service mechanical technician may also provide technical support to clients and co-workers, all while adhering to the company's safety standards and regulations.
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.
Service mechanical technicians and maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Service Mechanical Technician | Maintenance Technician | |
| Average salary | $47,820 | $43,293 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $68,000 | Between $31,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oxnard, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | State Street | Anheuser-Busch |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a service mechanical technician and a maintenance technician in terms of educational background:
| Service Mechanical Technician | Maintenance Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 33% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Electrical Engineering Technology |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred | - |
Here are the differences between service mechanical technicians' and maintenance technicians' demographics:
| Service Mechanical Technician | Maintenance Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 97.9% Female, 2.1% | Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 7.4% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 6% | 2% |