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The differences between shop technicians and maintenance technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a shop technician, becoming a maintenance technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a maintenance technician has an average salary of $43,293, which is higher than the $36,798 average annual salary of a shop technician.
The top three skills for a shop technician include preventative maintenance, routine maintenance and diagnosis. The most important skills for a maintenance technician are plumbing, HVAC, and hand tools.
| Shop Technician | Maintenance Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $36,798 | $43,293 |
| Hourly rate | $17.69 | $20.81 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 150,349 | 178,450 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.25 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 30% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| Average age | 42 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Shop Technicians are skilled workers assigned to a retail store. Their main activities depend on the nature of the business their company is in. Usually, Shop Technicians work with machines in the shop. They conduct repair and maintenance work for machines that have long been in the shop. They are also in charge of installing and building new machines as well. Shop Technicians are assigned to manage records of such machines or s other mechanical items in the store. This is part of the administrative activities they may do for the shop.
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.
Shop technicians and maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Shop Technician | Maintenance Technician | |
| Average salary | $36,798 | $43,293 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $53,000 | Between $31,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Leandro, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | Anheuser-Busch |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a shop technician and a maintenance technician in terms of educational background:
| Shop Technician | Maintenance Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 30% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Electrical Engineering Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between shop technicians' and maintenance technicians' demographics:
| Shop Technician | Maintenance Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1% | Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.4% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | 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 | 2% | 2% |