Biotechnician vs process operator

The differences between biotechnicians and process operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a biotechnician and a process operator. Additionally, a biotechnician has an average salary of $74,450, which is higher than the $37,996 average annual salary of a process operator.

The top three skills for a biotechnician include GMP, ISO and environmental monitoring. The most important skills for a process operator are safety procedures, preventative maintenance, and team-oriented environment.

Biotechnician vs process operator overview

	Biotechnician	Process Operator
Yearly salary	$74,450	$37,996
Hourly rate	$35.79	$18.27
Growth rate	-	3%
Number of jobs	612	83,478
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

Biotechnician vs process operator salary

Biotechnicians and process operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Biotechnician	Process Operator
Average salary	$74,450	$37,996
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $111,000	Between $29,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	-	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	-	Wyoming
Best paying company	-	BWX Technologies
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between biotechnician and process operator education

There are a few differences between a biotechnician and a process operator in terms of educational background:

	Biotechnician	Process Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Biology	Business
Most common college	Harvard University	Stanford University

Biotechnician vs process operator demographics

Here are the differences between biotechnicians' and process operators' demographics:

	Biotechnician	Process Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4%	Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 4.5% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between biotechnician and process operator duties and responsibilities

Biotechnician example responsibilities.

Manage a team of 16-35 to insure packaging lines are running to standards as far as USDA guidelines and company productivity.
Set up and execute sterile environment procedures (LIMS) including formulating final product.
Participate in internal audits in preparation for regulatory inspections involving MHRA, EPA, and FDA.
Perform daily monitoring of bioreactors and make appropriate adjustments as necessary.
Perform manufacture and testing of vaccines and other biological products in large scale GMP manufacturing facility.
Perform various production processes including batching media, centrifugation and filtration, flocculation and final harvesting for Bioreactor processes.

Process operator example responsibilities.

Manage distillation process to determine product specification compliance, and prepare unit for shutdown or turnaround process.
Climb ladders to inspect manholes, check temps, sometimes gather samples for lab analysis.
Demonstrate ability to perform basic math (add, subtract, multiply, divide, ratios, weights & measures).
Control product temperatures and monitor gauges.
Review FHA files for completeness and compliance.
Use of ladders, stairs, heavy lifting and temperature extremes.

Biotechnician vs process operator skills

Common biotechnician skills

GMP, 15%
ISO, 11%
Environmental Monitoring, 10%
PPE, 7%
Production Schedules, 5%
Lims, 5%

Common process operator skills

Safety Procedures, 8%
Preventative Maintenance, 7%
Team-Oriented Environment, 7%
Ladders, 5%
Customer Service, 4%
Data Entry, 4%