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The differences between fire technicians and valve technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a fire technician, becoming a valve technician takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a fire technician has an average salary of $47,578, which is higher than the $41,020 average annual salary of a valve technician.
The top three skills for a fire technician include fire protection, customer service and NFPA. The most important skills for a valve technician are control valves, hand tools, and actuators.
Fire technicians conduct safety inspections and planning for fire protection systems. Fire technicians recognize fire hazards, apply technical knowledge, and perform services to control and prevent fires. Their job includes assessing the safety of the buildings or at-risk areas, works with various protection measures, such as fire systems, exit signage, flame retardant building materials. The main purpose of a fire technician is to prevent fires as much as possible.
Valve technicians install regulating devices such as valves. They are responsible for monitoring, testing, and troubleshooting valves. Valves are essential controlling devices for plumbing in residential houses. In commercial and industrial buildings, valves may be required for regulating chemicals.
Fire technicians and valve technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Fire Technician | Valve Technician | |
| Average salary | $47,578 | $41,020 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $62,000 | Between $28,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Salt Lake City, UT | - |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | - |
| Best paying company | Jefferson Lab | - |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between a fire technician and a valve technician in terms of educational background:
| Fire Technician | Valve Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | High School Diploma, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | General Studies |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between fire technicians' and valve technicians' demographics:
| Fire Technician | Valve Technician | |
| Average age | 49 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% | Male, 91.5% Female, 8.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 7.3% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 1.2% White, 72.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9% | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 2.0% Hispanic or Latino, 22.7% Asian, 2.4% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 18% | 9% |