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The differences between machine maintenance technicians 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 machine maintenance technician, 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 $42,187 average annual salary of a machine maintenance technician.
The top three skills for a machine maintenance technician include preventative maintenance, hand tools and PLC. The most important skills for a tool technician are grinders, hand tools, and CNC.
| Machine Maintenance Technician | Tool Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $42,187 | $42,908 |
| Hourly rate | $20.28 | $20.63 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 156,225 | 78,258 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 42% | High School Diploma, 33% |
| Average age | 47 | 54 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A Machine Maintenance Technician will conduct machinery and equipment maintenance routinely. As a Maintenance Technician, you will help troubleshoot and repair any electrical or mechanical issues that may arise. Your duties may day-to-day duties may vary but typically include installing new manufacturing equipment, performing equipment calibration, and addressing safety hazard risks. Part of your duty is to communicate potential and existing problems with your supervisor and comply with safety policies and measures. Additionally, you will also need to maintain a clean and safe working environment.
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.
Machine maintenance technicians and tool technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Machine Maintenance Technician | Tool Technician | |
| Average salary | $42,187 | $42,908 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $57,000 | Between $29,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | Coon Rapids, MN | Fort Wayne, IN |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Indiana |
| Best paying company | Kennametal | Rivian |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Energy |
There are a few differences between a machine maintenance technician and a tool technician in terms of educational background:
| Machine Maintenance Technician | Tool Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 42% | High School Diploma, 33% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between machine maintenance technicians' and tool technicians' demographics:
| Machine Maintenance Technician | Tool Technician | |
| Average age | 47 | 54 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.6% Female, 3.4% | Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 4.6% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | 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 | 2% | 3% |