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The differences between valve technicians and equipment 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 valve technician, becoming an equipment maintenance technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an equipment maintenance technician has an average salary of $45,945, which is higher than the $41,020 average annual salary of a valve technician.
The top three skills for a valve technician include control valves, hand tools and actuators. The most important skills for an equipment maintenance technician are equipment maintenance, hand tools, and preventive maintenance.
Valve technicians install regulating devices such as valves. They are responsible for monitoring, testing, and troubleshooting valves. Valves are essential controlling devices for plumbing in residential houses. In commercial and industrial buildings, valves may be required for regulating chemicals.
An equipment maintenance technician is responsible for ensuring the stability and efficiency of all production tools and equipment to support smooth business functions and operations. Equipment maintenance technicians conduct regular maintenance for optimization, repair defective components, and inspect equipment parts to identify possible upgrades and replacements. They also assemble equipment and machinery, requiring them to have excellent mechanical and critical-thinking skills to analyze schematics and blueprints accurately. An equipment maintenance technician must be highly communicative and organizational, especially in adhering to the highest safety standards and protocols during operations.
Valve technicians and equipment maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Valve Technician | Equipment Maintenance Technician | |
| Average salary | $41,020 | $45,945 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $59,000 | Between $35,000 And $60,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Hayward, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | Vicor |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a valve technician and an equipment maintenance technician in terms of educational background:
| Valve Technician | Equipment Maintenance Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | General Studies | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between valve technicians' and equipment maintenance technicians' demographics:
| Valve Technician | Equipment Maintenance Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.5% Female, 8.5% | Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 2.0% Hispanic or Latino, 22.7% Asian, 2.4% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 22.2% Asian, 4.3% White, 58.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 2% |