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The differences between grinders and tool 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 grinder, becoming a tool technician takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a tool technician has an average salary of $42,908, which is higher than the $33,001 average annual salary of a grinder.
The top three skills for a grinder include grinders, hand tools and calipers. The most important skills for a tool technician are grinders, hand tools, and CNC.
| Grinder | Tool Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $33,001 | $42,908 |
| Hourly rate | $15.87 | $20.63 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 3,409 | 78,258 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 58% | High School Diploma, 33% |
| Average age | 48 | 54 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
Depending on the industry, a grinder has a diverse range of duties. Typically, they oversee setting up and operating bearing grinders, cam grinders, and CNC lathes. A grinder must meet with the manufacturer's specifications by making use of shop drawings. Additionally, they may be tasked with repairing any mechanical breakdowns on the machines.
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.
Grinders and tool technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Grinder | Tool Technician | |
| Average salary | $33,001 | $42,908 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $40,000 | Between $29,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | Tualatin, OR | Fort Wayne, IN |
| Highest paying state | New Mexico | Indiana |
| Best paying company | Kennametal | Rivian |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Energy |
There are a few differences between a grinder and a tool technician in terms of educational background:
| Grinder | Tool Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 58% | High School Diploma, 33% |
| Most common major | Precision Metal Working | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between grinders' and tool technicians' demographics:
| Grinder | Tool Technician | |
| Average age | 48 | 54 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.3% Female, 8.7% | Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 70.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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 Percentage | 3% | 3% |