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The differences between finishing technicians and paint technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a paint technician has an average salary of $37,602, which is higher than the $35,050 average annual salary of a finishing technician.
The top three skills for a finishing technician include hand tools, grinders and pallets. The most important skills for a paint technician are work ethic, fiberglass, and paint guns.
| Finishing Technician | Paint Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $35,050 | $37,602 |
| Hourly rate | $16.85 | $18.08 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 43,972 | 28,982 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 39% | High School Diploma, 45% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
With great attention to detail, a finishing technician must have the ability to use all the machinery provided to finish a job. Finishing technicians must work long hours on sketches, blueprints, and other specifications. They must execute quality work to deadlines and adapt to changes that might occur between process implementations. They are responsible for training staff on machines and troubleshooting when issues arise. They are also responsible for quality control on finished products.
The responsibilities of a Paint Technician primarily depend on their place or industry of employment. In the automotive industry, a Paint Technician specializes in painting new vehicles, conducting paint repairs, or providing custom paint services. Their tasks often include meeting with clients to identify their needs and preferences, developing strategies and concepts, and adhering to schedules and formats. Aside from having a great attention to detail, a Paint Technician must also have strength, endurance, and presence of mind as their duties require long hours of physical work.
Finishing technicians and paint technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Finishing Technician | Paint Technician | |
| Average salary | $35,050 | $37,602 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $43,000 | Between $29,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baton Rouge, LA | Santa Clarita, CA |
| Highest paying state | Montana | California |
| Best paying company | Promega | Ball |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Construction |
There are a few differences between a finishing technician and a paint technician in terms of educational background:
| Finishing Technician | Paint Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 39% | High School Diploma, 45% |
| Most common major | Business | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | - |
Here are the differences between finishing technicians' and paint technicians' demographics:
| Finishing Technician | Paint Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.4% Female, 31.6% | Male, 87.3% Female, 12.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 8.4% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |