Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between manufacturing engineering technicians and process technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a manufacturing engineering technician and a process technician. Additionally, a manufacturing engineering technician has an average salary of $53,219, which is higher than the $39,462 average annual salary of a process technician.
The top three skills for a manufacturing engineering technician include continuous improvement, troubleshoot and production equipment. The most important skills for a process technician are basic math, patients, and OSHA.
| Manufacturing Engineering Technician | Process Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $53,219 | $39,462 |
| Hourly rate | $25.59 | $18.97 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 99,347 | 74,367 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A manufacturing engineering technician is responsible for supporting the manufacturing processes of industrial operations by providing technical assistance on the design development procedures. Manufacturing engineering technicians inspect the efficiency and consistency of plans and perform multiple diagnostic tests to ensure that the product performs to its highest condition. They also recommend cost-reduction techniques while providing high-quality outputs and deliverables. A manufacturing engineering technician must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially on troubleshooting equipment and writing progress reports for reference.
A process technician is responsible for managing the equipment and machinery used for various industries, such as manufacturing and engineering. Process technicians must have a strong knowledge of the mechanical industry, especially on operating certain equipment types and making adjustments on its features as needed, depending on the needs of the operation. They also run diagnostic tests to check a machine's working condition to ensure that it's free of any inconsistencies. A process technician also helps develop structure methods by communicating with the technical team and escalating all defective findings to the supervisor.
Manufacturing engineering technicians and process technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Engineering Technician | Process Technician | |
| Average salary | $53,219 | $39,462 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $75,000 | Between $30,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | Santa Clara, CA |
| Highest paying state | Idaho | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Lam Research | HP |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing engineering technician and a process technician in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Engineering Technician | Process Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Purdue University | Purdue University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing engineering technicians' and process technicians' demographics:
| Manufacturing Engineering Technician | Process Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 8.3% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 7.6% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |