Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between utility workers and 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 utility worker and a maintenance technician. Additionally, a maintenance technician has an average salary of $43,293, which is higher than the $30,429 average annual salary of a utility worker.
The top three skills for a utility worker include customer service, safety procedures and cleanliness. The most important skills for a maintenance technician are plumbing, HVAC, and hand tools.
| Utility Worker | Maintenance Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $30,429 | $43,293 |
| Hourly rate | $14.63 | $20.81 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 31,038 | 178,450 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.25 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 50% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A utility worker is an entry-level position who is responsible for the cleanliness and maintenance of company premises and equipment. Utility workers take verbal and written instructions from managers and maintenance officers about the assigned work areas inside and outside of the property. Some employers may require their utility workers to have a commercial driver's license because they will be operating maintenance equipment and vehicles. Although a bachelor's degree is not required, utility workers must be in good physical condition and also be able to read written work orders.
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.
Utility workers and maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Utility Worker | Maintenance Technician | |
| Average salary | $30,429 | $43,293 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $38,000 | Between $31,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | UGI | Anheuser-Busch |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a utility worker and a maintenance technician in terms of educational background:
| Utility Worker | Maintenance Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 50% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between utility workers' and maintenance technicians' demographics:
| Utility Worker | Maintenance Technician | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.1% Female, 16.9% | Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 4.7% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | 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% |