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The differences between engineering technicians and process 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 engineering technician and a process technician. Additionally, an engineering technician has an average salary of $60,273, which is higher than the $39,462 average annual salary of a process technician.
The top three skills for an engineering technician include technical support, data collection and test equipment. The most important skills for a process technician are basic math, patients, and OSHA.
| Engineering Technician | Process Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $60,273 | $39,462 |
| Hourly rate | $28.98 | $18.97 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 111,343 | 74,367 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An Engineering Technician's duties vary according to the industry or company, whether mechanical, industrial, civil, agricultural, or more. However, most of the time, the responsibilities often revolve around resolving technical issues, working with and assisting Engineers in building, assembling, designing, gathering and testing data, and conducting more manual activities. Furthermore, Engineering Technicians can specialize and work in various fields after a certain training period, closely mentored or monitored by an engineer or someone with extensive expertise.
A process technician is responsible for managing the equipment and machinery used for various industries, such as manufacturing and engineering. Process technicians must have a strong knowledge of the mechanical industry, especially on operating certain equipment types and making adjustments on its features as needed, depending on the needs of the operation. They also run diagnostic tests to check a machine's working condition to ensure that it's free of any inconsistencies. A process technician also helps develop structure methods by communicating with the technical team and escalating all defective findings to the supervisor.
Engineering technicians and process technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Technician | Process Technician | |
| Average salary | $60,273 | $39,462 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $96,000 | Between $30,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Santa Clara, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Western Digital | HP |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an engineering technician and a process technician in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Technician | Process Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Purdue University | Purdue University |
Here are the differences between engineering technicians' and process technicians' demographics:
| Engineering Technician | Process Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1% | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 9.2% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 7.6% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |