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The differences between formulation technicians and production technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a formulation technician and a production technician. Additionally, a formulation technician has an average salary of $48,107, which is higher than the $37,550 average annual salary of a production technician.
The top three skills for a formulation technician include lean manufacturing, FDA and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a production technician are hand tools, preventative maintenance, and quality checks.
| Formulation Technician | Production Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $48,107 | $37,550 |
| Hourly rate | $23.13 | $18.05 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 45,585 | 135,266 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Average age | 44 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Formulation Technicians are responsible for preparing and testing formulations samples to meet the research and development goals. Their duties include preparing samples for different formulations, undertaking pilot production studies, assessing storage stability, conducting physical property measuring, and performing chemical and physical formulation assessments. They facilitate global sampling, maintain an accurate record of study data, and participate in team meetings. Formulation Technicians also ensure that laboratory resources are up to acceptable standards and work is done to follow best practices, safety standards, and documented procedures.
A production technician is an individual who is responsible for assembling and testing manufactured goods before they are marketed to the general public. Production technicians usually work with manufacturing and quality assurance personnel to ensure that high-quality work standards are implemented by workers. By maintaining high-quality work, production technicians must implement up-to-date, efficient methods of production as well as production equipment maintenance procedures. They also schedule training for workers and educate them regularly on health and safety regulations.
Formulation technicians and production technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Formulation Technician | Production Technician | |
| Average salary | $48,107 | $37,550 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $75,000 | Between $28,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rockville, MD | Frederick, MD |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Boehringer Ingelheim | Cornerstone Research |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a formulation technician and a production technician in terms of educational background:
| Formulation Technician | Production Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between formulation technicians' and production technicians' demographics:
| Formulation Technician | Production Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.9% Female, 34.1% | Male, 71.4% Female, 28.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 9.4% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 7.5% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 6% |