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The differences between automation engineering technicians and manufacturing engineering technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an automation engineering technician and a manufacturing engineering technician. Additionally, an automation engineering technician has an average salary of $89,591, which is higher than the $53,219 average annual salary of a manufacturing engineering technician.
The top three skills for an automation engineering technician include PLC, HMI and automation engineering. The most important skills for a manufacturing engineering technician are continuous improvement, troubleshoot, and production equipment.
| Automation Engineering Technician | Manufacturing Engineering Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $89,591 | $53,219 |
| Hourly rate | $43.07 | $25.59 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 81,592 | 99,347 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An automation engineer technician specializes in developing and maintaining automated systems in various industries. They are responsible for responding to reports involving complex issues, inspecting systems, troubleshooting problems, replacing or fixing parts, and maintaining extensive records. They may also perform regular maintenance checks, develop and implement test structures, perform upgrades and modifications, establish guidelines, and communicate directly with clients in an effort to solve issues and concerns. Moreover, they provide technical support to staff, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A manufacturing engineering technician is responsible for supporting the manufacturing processes of industrial operations by providing technical assistance on the design development procedures. Manufacturing engineering technicians inspect the efficiency and consistency of plans and perform multiple diagnostic tests to ensure that the product performs to its highest condition. They also recommend cost-reduction techniques while providing high-quality outputs and deliverables. A manufacturing engineering technician must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially on troubleshooting equipment and writing progress reports for reference.
Automation engineering technicians and manufacturing engineering technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automation Engineering Technician | Manufacturing Engineering Technician | |
| Average salary | $89,591 | $53,219 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $121,000 | Between $37,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Sunnyvale, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Idaho |
| Best paying company | - | Lam Research |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between an automation engineering technician and a manufacturing engineering technician in terms of educational background:
| Automation Engineering Technician | Manufacturing Engineering Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Purdue University | Purdue University |
Here are the differences between automation engineering technicians' and manufacturing engineering technicians' demographics:
| Automation Engineering Technician | Manufacturing Engineering Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 7.6% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 8.3% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |