Side-by-side distribution
Maintenance Technician
$60,160
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 39.5%
- Live roles
- 959
Process Engineer
$137,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 31%
- Live roles
- 423
Highest-paying jobs
Staff Equipment Maintenance Technician
HVAC - Mechanical 1099 Contractor - Maintenance Technician
HVAC - Mechanical 1099 Contractor - Maintenance Technician
HVAC - Mechanical 1099 Contractor - Maintenance Technician
HVAC - Mechanical 1099 Contractor - Maintenance Technician
HVAC - Mechanical 1099 Contractor - Maintenance Technician
HVAC - Mechanical 1099 Contractor - Maintenance Technician
HVAC - Mechanical 1099 Contractor - Maintenance Technician
Laboratory Operations & Maintenance Technician
Industrial Maintenance Specialist (PLC/ Controls Technician)
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Chemical Process Engineer
Principal Process Engineer, Fuel Cycle
Senior Process Engineer (Power Generation / Gas-to-Power)
Senior / Principal Silicon Photonic Packaging & Process Engineer
Process Engineer (New Grad Summer 2027)
Process Engineer (New Grad December 2026)
Senior Additive Manufacturing Process Engineer
Senior Manufacturing Process Engineer
Staff Engineer, Process Development and Manufacturing
Materials & Process Engineer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Advanced Technology Services
|
$71,687 | 34 |
MG Properties
|
$54,080 | 18 |
Weinstein Properties
|
$45,760 | 12 |
The Scion Group
|
$46,800 | 11 |
Aviation Institute of Maintenance
|
$74,880 | 10 |
HelloFresh
|
$64,480 | 10 |
PeakMade Real Estate
|
$46,858 | 10 |
Prometheus Real Estate Group
|
$58,760 | 9 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$150,000 | 14 |
| OK Oklo | $130,000 | 6 |
SpaceX
|
$115,000 | 5 |
|
Freeform
|
$209,800 | 4 |
Antora Energy
|
$159,750 | 4 |
| SI Sila | $158,000 | 4 |
Blue Current
|
$135,800 | 4 |
Mariana Minerals
|
$133,750 | 4 |
Maintenance Technician salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $75,000 | 4 |
| Los Angeles | $70,985 | 8 |
| Chicago | $69,680 | 6 |
| San Francisco | $62,400 | 5 |
| Austin | $60,000 | 3 |
| New York | $51,480 | 10 |
| Denver | $50,960 | 12 |
| Atlanta | $49,920 | 7 |
Process Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $175,000 | 3 |
| Los Angeles | $167,500 | 7 |
| New York | $135,000 | 5 |
Maintenance Technician vs Process Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Maintenance Technician is $60,160 per year (typically $50,960–$72,670), versus $137,500 for Process Engineer ($110,250–$167,500). That puts Process Engineer about 129% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Maintenance Technician and Process Engineer are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.