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The differences between automation engineering technicians and product development technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an automation engineering technician, becoming a product development technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an automation engineering technician has an average salary of $89,591, which is higher than the $82,950 average annual salary of a product development technician.
The top three skills for an automation engineering technician include PLC, HMI and automation engineering. The most important skills for a product development technician are R, product development, and lab equipment.
| Automation Engineering Technician | Product Development Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $89,591 | $82,950 |
| Hourly rate | $43.07 | $39.88 |
| Growth rate | 3% | - |
| Number of jobs | 81,592 | 131,939 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 45 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
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.
Product development technicians are responsible for expanding and providing improvement to new products and implementing appropriate tests. They help grow a team framework for the organization. Their duties include arranging oral and written reports for each product development projects and examine their performance. Also, they preserve a clean and neat laboratory area and make sure of the viability of all equipment. Additionally, they create drafts for each product and work instructions documents, as well as install and examine all test equipment for modification.
Automation engineering technicians and product development technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automation Engineering Technician | Product Development Technician | |
| Average salary | $89,591 | $82,950 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $121,000 | Between $61,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Austin, TX |
| Highest paying state | - | Texas |
| Best paying company | - | Western Digital |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between an automation engineering technician and a product development technician in terms of educational background:
| Automation Engineering Technician | Product Development Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Biology |
| Most common college | Purdue University | Purdue University |
Here are the differences between automation engineering technicians' and product development technicians' demographics:
| Automation Engineering Technician | Product Development Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3% | Male, 67.5% Female, 32.5% |
| 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, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 8% |