Failure analysis technician vs process control technician

The differences between failure analysis technicians and process control technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a failure analysis technician and a process control technician. Additionally, a process control technician has an average salary of $52,452, which is higher than the $51,189 average annual salary of a failure analysis technician.

The top three skills for a failure analysis technician include troubleshoot, test equipment and failure analysis. The most important skills for a process control technician are PLC, control systems, and logic controllers.

Failure analysis technician vs process control technician overview

	Failure Analysis Technician	Process Control Technician
Yearly salary	$51,189	$52,452
Hourly rate	$24.61	$25.22
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	23,962	90,615
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 60%	Associate Degree, 41%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

Failure analysis technician vs process control technician salary

Failure analysis technicians and process control technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Failure Analysis Technician	Process Control Technician
Average salary	$51,189	$52,452
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $72,000	Between $40,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	-	Odessa, TX
Highest paying state	-	Maryland
Best paying company	-	Stanford University
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between failure analysis technician and process control technician education

There are a few differences between a failure analysis technician and a process control technician in terms of educational background:

	Failure Analysis Technician	Process Control Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 60%	Associate Degree, 41%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	Purdue University	Purdue University

Failure analysis technician vs process control technician demographics

Here are the differences between failure analysis technicians' and process control technicians' demographics:

	Failure Analysis Technician	Process Control Technician
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 84.3% Female, 15.7%	Male, 81.1% Female, 18.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 11.6% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 7.5% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between failure analysis technician and process control technician duties and responsibilities

Failure analysis technician example responsibilities.

Achieve multiple certifications per FDA and NRC guidelines for various internal processes critical to quality and safety.
Conduct testing of COA to the inks by the use of GC/MS, IC, HPLC, ICP/MS and UV spectroscopy.
Perform hands-on electronic circuit assembly, fabrication, wiring, prototyping, testing, debugging and repair down to component level.
Perform system diagnostic testing, PCB debugging down to failure component or marginal components up to ASIC/IC level, SI analysis.
Support customers internal and external to troubleshoot product failures for continuous yield improvement activities.
Execute 'root cause' analysis of microelectronics, optical laser system & micro-mechanical devices.

Process control technician example responsibilities.

Spearhead inspection and packaging equipment for pharmaceutical products per FDA regulations to achieve production goals ahead of schedule.
Help develop standard operating procedure and perform safety reviews to meet OSHA standards.
Create safety programs and lead the site in safety training in compliance with OSHA CFR29 regulations.
Direct activities to ensure that workmanship and testing conform to ISO and QS9001 specifications per customer requirements.
Maintain appropriate PLC and computer software/hardware information.
Full knowledge and understanding of an organize ISO manufacturing environment.

Failure analysis technician vs process control technician skills

Common failure analysis technician skills

Troubleshoot, 10%
Test Equipment, 8%
Failure Analysis, 8%
Sample Preparation, 5%
Assembly Line, 5%
Sectioning, 4%

Common process control technician skills

PLC, 15%
Control Systems, 6%
Logic Controllers, 4%
Continuous Improvement, 4%
HMI, 4%
Data Entry, 3%

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Failure Analysis Technician
Failure Analysis Technician vs Process Control Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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