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The differences between lens coating technicians and manufacturing 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 lens coating technician, becoming a manufacturing technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a manufacturing technician has an average salary of $37,853, which is higher than the $33,238 average annual salary of a lens coating technician.
The top three skills for a lens coating technician include computer system, calipers and production equipment. The most important skills for a manufacturing technician are GMP, continuous improvement, and hand tools.
| Lens Coating Technician | Manufacturing Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $33,238 | $37,853 |
| Hourly rate | $15.98 | $18.20 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 34,124 | 76,490 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
A Lens Coating Technician is responsible for ensuring that every glasses, contact lenses and other eye care polish and clean before giving it to the customer. They assemble the frames and put on the correct and necessary lens and the grinders, lens mounters, and centered-edger. Often, their task is to read eye prescription, determine the right lenses by using lens blank, molds, tools according to its specification. They also examine if there are flaws and aligns the thickness of lenses.
A manufacturing technician, or often called a manufacturing production technician, is an individual who is responsible for setting and testing manufacturing machinery or equipment. To set up the machines, manufacturing technicians will use electronic, electrical, mechanical, or computer technologies. They are responsible for gathering data from their part in the manufacturing process and reporting it to their production or manufacturing engineers. When handling machines or equipment, manufacturing technicians must strictly follow their health and safety procedures and protocols.
Lens coating technicians and manufacturing technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lens Coating Technician | Manufacturing Technician | |
| Average salary | $33,238 | $37,853 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $42,000 | Between $27,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Diego, CA | Framingham, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | PPG | Qorvo |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a lens coating technician and a manufacturing technician in terms of educational background:
| Lens Coating Technician | Manufacturing Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | - | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between lens coating technicians' and manufacturing technicians' demographics:
| Lens Coating Technician | Manufacturing Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2% | Male, 74.4% Female, 25.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% Asian, 3.2% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 8.9% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 6% |