Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between shift engineers and maintenance engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a shift engineer, becoming a maintenance engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a shift engineer has an average salary of $91,237, which is higher than the $47,133 average annual salary of a maintenance engineer.
The top three skills for a shift engineer include HVAC, preventive maintenance and plumbing. The most important skills for a maintenance engineer are plumbing, HVAC, and guest rooms.
| Shift Engineer | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $91,237 | $47,133 |
| Hourly rate | $43.86 | $22.66 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 31,693 | 97,957 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 50 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A shift engineer conducts maintenance operations and ensures a company's engineering policies are upheld. They supervise a team, perform preventative maintenance, take orders, keep records, and control inventory. This position requires good communication skills, time management skills, and previous experience in the field.
A maintenance engineer is responsible for the maintenance of industrial machinery and inspects equipment defects for immediate troubleshooting or replacement as needed. Maintenance engineers install and upgrade system components to improve system optimization and perform diagnostic systems to locate any adjustments. They also conduct routine checks, assist clients with technical faults, and ensure that the equipment works safely for certain operations. A maintenance engineer must have excellent knowledge of the mechanical industry to address technical malfunctions immediately.
Shift engineers and maintenance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Shift Engineer | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $91,237 | $47,133 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $128,000 | Between $29,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Bristol-Myers Squibb | Halliburton |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a shift engineer and a maintenance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Shift Engineer | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between shift engineers' and maintenance engineers' demographics:
| Shift Engineer | Maintenance Engineer | |
| Average age | 50 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.5% Female, 4.5% | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 7.6% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 4.4% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 2% |