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The differences between manufacturing engineering technicians and test 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 manufacturing engineering technician, becoming a test technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a manufacturing engineering technician has an average salary of $53,219, which is higher than the $43,171 average annual salary of a test technician.
The top three skills for a manufacturing engineering technician include continuous improvement, troubleshoot and production equipment. The most important skills for a test technician are test procedures, test results, and hand tools.
| Manufacturing Engineering Technician | Test Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $53,219 | $43,171 |
| Hourly rate | $25.59 | $20.76 |
| Growth rate | 3% | - |
| Number of jobs | 99,347 | 71,414 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Associate Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 45 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
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 test technician is responsible for running multiple diagnostic tests on various tools and equipment to boost optimization and ensure its efficient performance on operations. Test technicians inspect system components and manage calibration, following clients' specifications or the business' needs. A test technician also analyzes the system's design processes and features to understand its complexities and identify necessary upgrades. Test technicians keep a record of system issues and resolutions for reference. A test technician must have excellent knowledge of the technical and mechanical industry to perform tasks and achieve the highest customer satisfaction.
Manufacturing engineering technicians and test technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Engineering Technician | Test Technician | |
| Average salary | $53,219 | $43,171 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $75,000 | Between $30,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Idaho | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Lam Research | Nokia |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing engineering technician and a test technician in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Engineering Technician | Test Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Associate Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Purdue University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing engineering technicians' and test technicians' demographics:
| Manufacturing Engineering Technician | Test Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% | Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4% |
| 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, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 8% |