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The differences between assembly technicians and fabrication technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a fabrication technician has an average salary of $35,582, which is higher than the $34,952 average annual salary of an assembly technician.
The top three skills for an assembly technician include customer service, hand tools and lean manufacturing. The most important skills for a fabrication technician are hand tools, math, and customer service.
| Assembly Technician | Fabrication Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $34,952 | $35,582 |
| Hourly rate | $16.80 | $17.11 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 52,385 | 109,734 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 34% | Associate Degree, 29% |
| Average age | 49 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Assembly technicians are responsible for constructing small parts and components to create a new product according to the specifications of a client or a supervisor. An assembly technician performs diagnostic tests on the assembled product to ensure efficiency and conduct adjustments as needed. An assembly technician also provides manual instructional guides for product use and troubleshooting procedures. Assembly technicians must be knowledgeable about the technology and mechanical industry, as well as have the ability to analyze designs as a guide for creating high-quality products.
Fabrication technicians are skilled employees who are responsible for using specialized equipment to assemble components for a variety of products or finished products. These technicians are required to perform inspections on the tools and mechanical equipment as well as provide maintenance and repair. They are required to complete the assembly of equipment by following the engineering drawings and specifications. Fabrication technicians must also follow established safety procedures when maintaining work areas and troubleshooting problems with machinery.
Assembly technicians and fabrication technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assembly Technician | Fabrication Technician | |
| Average salary | $34,952 | $35,582 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $43,000 | Between $26,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | Jefferson Lab | Westinghouse Appliances Australia |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between an assembly technician and a fabrication technician in terms of educational background:
| Assembly Technician | Fabrication Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 34% | Associate Degree, 29% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between assembly technicians' and fabrication technicians' demographics:
| Assembly Technician | Fabrication Technician | |
| Average age | 49 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.7% Female, 24.3% | Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 9.8% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 9.6% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |