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Fabrication technician vs tool technician

The differences between fabrication technicians and tool technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a tool technician has an average salary of $42,908, which is higher than the $35,582 average annual salary of a fabrication technician.

The top three skills for a fabrication technician include hand tools, math and customer service. The most important skills for a tool technician are grinders, hand tools, and CNC.

Fabrication technician vs tool technician overview

Fabrication TechnicianTool Technician
Yearly salary$35,582$42,908
Hourly rate$17.11$20.63
Growth rate14%1%
Number of jobs109,73478,258
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 29%High School Diploma, 33%
Average age4454
Years of experience-6

What does a fabrication technician do?

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.

What does a tool technician do?

Tool technicians are skilled professionals who are responsible for repairing a variety of pneumatic and hand tools as well as disassemble defective electrical equipment in a manufacturing firm using these hand tools. These technicians are required to coordinate with other areas of the company to schedule and perform preventive maintenance duties. They must provide support for CNC operators by setting up the caliper and micrometer of all the CNC machines. Tool technicians must also assist coworkers in ordering materials and purchasing machine parts.

Fabrication technician vs tool technician salary

Fabrication technicians and tool technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Fabrication TechnicianTool Technician
Average salary$35,582$42,908
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $47,000Between $29,000 And $61,000
Highest paying CitySan Jose, CAFort Wayne, IN
Highest paying stateNorth DakotaIndiana
Best paying companyWestinghouse Appliances AustraliaRivian
Best paying industryFinanceEnergy

Differences between fabrication technician and tool technician education

There are a few differences between a fabrication technician and a tool technician in terms of educational background:

Fabrication TechnicianTool Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 29%High School Diploma, 33%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Fabrication technician vs tool technician demographics

Here are the differences between fabrication technicians' and tool technicians' demographics:

Fabrication TechnicianTool Technician
Average age4454
Gender ratioMale, 85.1% Female, 14.9%Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 2.4% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 6.5% Asian, 2.7% White, 84.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage5%3%

Differences between fabrication technician and tool technician duties and responsibilities

Fabrication technician example responsibilities.

  • Use of mig and tig welders, plasma cutter, chop see, band see and drill press.
  • Lift or move material and finish products using large over head cranes or hoists.
  • Weld with stick mig flux cor stainless rods.
  • Form, fabricate and assemble commercial HVAC duct work systems.
  • Train and operate several pieces of fab equipment, i.e.
  • Operate laser and turret machines to cut hoods for transformers.
  • Show more

Tool technician example responsibilities.

  • Use specialize tools and machinery (CNC milling machine, manual lathe, manual milling machine and surface grinders . )
  • Program and operate wire EDM machine, milling machines, drill presses, surface grinders, lathes and jig grinders.
  • Perform mig, tig, and stick welds.
  • Skil welder utilizing TIG, MIG and stick welding processes.
  • Work on and troubleshoot the press machinery using calipers, micrometers and other precision tools.
  • Learned to use a TIG welder . )
  • Show more

Fabrication technician vs tool technician skills

Common fabrication technician skills
  • Hand Tools, 10%
  • Math, 6%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • CNC, 5%
  • Calipers, 5%
  • OSHA, 5%
Common tool technician skills
  • Grinders, 11%
  • Hand Tools, 10%
  • CNC, 9%
  • Calipers, 7%
  • Micrometers, 6%
  • Jigs, 6%

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