Lead mechanical technician vs mechanical laboratory technician

The differences between lead mechanical technicians and mechanical laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a lead mechanical technician, becoming a mechanical laboratory technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a lead mechanical technician has an average salary of $84,323, which is higher than the $43,949 average annual salary of a mechanical laboratory technician.

The top three skills for a lead mechanical technician include customer service, electrical systems and preventative maintenance. The most important skills for a mechanical laboratory technician are test equipment, test results, and hand tools.

Lead mechanical technician vs mechanical laboratory technician overview

	Lead Mechanical Technician	Mechanical Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$84,323	$43,949
Hourly rate	$40.54	$21.13
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	85,908	61,287
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 38%	Associate Degree, 40%
Average age	45	44
Years of experience	6	12

Lead mechanical technician vs mechanical laboratory technician salary

Lead mechanical technicians and mechanical laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lead Mechanical Technician	Mechanical Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$84,323	$43,949
Salary range	Between $55,000 And $127,000	Between $33,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between lead mechanical technician and mechanical laboratory technician education

There are a few differences between a lead mechanical technician and a mechanical laboratory technician in terms of educational background:

	Lead Mechanical Technician	Mechanical Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 38%	Associate Degree, 40%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Mechanical Engineering
Most common college	Purdue University	Northwestern University

Lead mechanical technician vs mechanical laboratory technician demographics

Here are the differences between lead mechanical technicians' and mechanical laboratory technicians' demographics:

	Lead Mechanical Technician	Mechanical Laboratory Technician
Average age	45	44
Gender ratio	Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6%	Male, 89.0% Female, 11.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 7.4% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 12.1% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	8%

Differences between lead mechanical technician and mechanical laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Lead mechanical technician example responsibilities.

Dispatch work accordingly, manage and assist team members with more complex repairs and diagnosis.
Lead electro/mechanical technician on PLC, CNC, robotics on night shift.
Start off as CNC machine operator.
Perform cost studies for industrial HVAC systems.
Train maintenance techs on troubleshooting and PLC programing.
Maintain a safe working environment according to OSHA standards.

Mechanical laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Lead aerobic, anaerobic and UV light testing, chemical residue testing and centrifuge to separate chemicals from water.
Assemble, test, troubleshoot and inspect precision hydraulic components for commercial and military aviation
Maintain equipment for normal operation and troubleshoot during mechanical failure.
Design and manufacturing of research relate hardware by using solid model computer programs and advance CNC machinery.
Test electro-mechanical subsystems for circuit integrity and operational reliability.
Be responsible for a variety of complex assembly operations including RF electromechanical assembly and PCB rework.

Lead mechanical technician vs mechanical laboratory technician skills

Common lead mechanical technician skills

Customer Service, 54%
Electrical Systems, 35%
Preventative Maintenance, 1%
Safety Procedures, 1%
Hand Tools, 1%
OSHA, 1%

Common mechanical laboratory technician skills

Test Equipment, 15%
Test Results, 13%
Hand Tools, 13%
CNC, 7%
Data Collection, 7%
Calipers, 7%

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Lead Mechanical Technician
Lead Mechanical Technician vs Mechanical Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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