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The differences between instrument technicians and instrument fitters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an instrument technician has an average salary of $56,918, which is higher than the $39,186 average annual salary of an instrument fitter.
The top three skills for an instrument technician include patients, surgical instruments and cleanliness. The most important skills for an instrument fitter are switches, read p, and safety regulations.
| Instrument Technician | Instrument Fitter | |
| Yearly salary | $56,918 | $39,186 |
| Hourly rate | $27.36 | $18.84 |
| Growth rate | - | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 45,965 | 4,260 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 48% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Average age | 50 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | - |
An instrument technician is an individual who is responsible for testing, repairing, and inspecting all manufacturing equipment to ensure proper operations of the machines. Instrument technicians collaborate with engineers to develop and produce equipment design and provide advice to process technicians about equipment operation. They remove defective equipment so that they can decontaminate and replace the damaged ones with new machines. They are also required by their employer to obtain certification in the field of instrumentation technology.
Instrument fitters are professionals who are responsible for assembling and installing accurate instruments that perform tasks such as measuring, recording, and controlling. These fitters are required to use AutoCAD software to plan, draft, and design instrument layout and various assembly. They must install and wire multiple instruments such as pressure, level, and temperature transmitter. They are required to repair control valves throughout the plant to improve operational efficiency. Instrument fitters must also follow safety guidelines for using PPE safety glasses, hard hats, and safety shoes.
Instrument technicians and instrument fitters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instrument Technician | Instrument Fitter | |
| Average salary | $56,918 | $39,186 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $83,000 | Between $32,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | - |
| Best paying company | Phillips 66 | - |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | - |
There are a few differences between an instrument technician and an instrument fitter in terms of educational background:
| Instrument Technician | Instrument Fitter | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 48% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Music |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | - |
Here are the differences between instrument technicians' and instrument fitters' demographics:
| Instrument Technician | Instrument Fitter | |
| Average age | 50 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% | Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 27.3% Asian, 1.8% White, 58.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 2% |