Lathe machinist vs tool technician

The differences between lathe machinists 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 lathe machinist, 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 $39,651 average annual salary of a lathe machinist.

The top three skills for a lathe machinist include CNC, calipers and machine shop. The most important skills for a tool technician are grinders, hand tools, and CNC.

Lathe machinist vs tool technician overview

	Lathe Machinist	Tool Technician
Yearly salary	$39,651	$42,908
Hourly rate	$19.06	$20.63
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	9,628	78,258
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	High School Diploma, 33%
Average age	48	54
Years of experience	4	6

Lathe machinist vs tool technician salary

Lathe machinists and tool technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lathe Machinist	Tool Technician
Average salary	$39,651	$42,908
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $51,000	Between $29,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City	-	Fort Wayne, IN
Highest paying state	-	Indiana
Best paying company	-	Rivian
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between lathe machinist and tool technician education

There are a few differences between a lathe machinist and a tool technician in terms of educational background:

	Lathe Machinist	Tool Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	High School Diploma, 33%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Business
Most common college	-	-

Lathe machinist vs tool technician demographics

Here are the differences between lathe machinists' and tool technicians' demographics:

	Lathe Machinist	Tool Technician
Average age	48	54
Gender ratio	Male, 95.4% Female, 4.6%	Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 70.9% 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%

Differences between lathe machinist and tool technician duties and responsibilities

Lathe machinist example responsibilities.

Manage output according to company quality standards and corresponding ISO certification.
Float throughout the shop running multiple HAAS mills & lathes and Mazak Integrexes.
Used calipers, micrometers, bore gauges, thread gauges and other gauging require for the inspection of parts.
Experience working with FANUC controls.
Run and operate Mazak lathes and mills.
Set up and run Okuma lathes and some pm

Tool technician example responsibilities.

Use specialize tools and machinery (CNC milling machine, manual lathe, manual milling machine and surface grinders . )
Program and operate wire EDM machine, milling machines, drill presses, surface grinders, lathes and jig grinders.
Perform mig, tig, and stick welds.
Skil welder utilizing TIG, MIG and stick welding processes.
Work on and troubleshoot the press machinery using calipers, micrometers and other precision tools.
Learned to use a TIG welder . )

Lathe machinist vs tool technician skills

Common lathe machinist skills

CNC, 23%
Calipers, 7%
Machine Shop, 6%
Micrometers, 6%
GD, 6%
Grinders, 5%

Common tool technician skills

Grinders, 11%
Hand Tools, 10%
CNC, 9%
Calipers, 7%
Micrometers, 6%
Jigs, 6%