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The differences between manufacturing process technicians and engineering assistants 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 process technician and an engineering assistant. Additionally, an engineering assistant has an average salary of $64,402, which is higher than the $43,212 average annual salary of a manufacturing process technician.
The top three skills for a manufacturing process technician include GMP, standard operating procedure and autoclaves. The most important skills for an engineering assistant are troubleshoot, C++, and worksheets.
| Manufacturing Process Technician | Engineering Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $43,212 | $64,402 |
| Hourly rate | $20.77 | $30.96 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 85,379 | 53,767 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A manufacturing process technician, also referred to as a manufacturing operator or manufacturing associate, is responsible for all the stages of manufacturing. They work with industrial engineers to implement designs that permit the use of machines and materials effectively. They also need to prepare equipment and machine layout, plan workflow, analyze data, observe workers, and ensure the equipment in use is always in good working order.
An engineering assistant is responsible for supporting the engineering department's operations under the supervision of a head engineer. Engineering assistants help with operating tools and equipment, developing and analyzing designs, communicating with clients by responding to their inquiries and concerns, creating project plans, and identifying business opportunities to generate revenues and increase profitability. An engineering assistant must have excellent knowledge of the engineering disciplines and processes to carry out tasks within strict deadlines and under minimal supervision.
Manufacturing process technicians and engineering assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Process Technician | Engineering Assistant | |
| Average salary | $43,212 | $64,402 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $60,000 | Between $41,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | AbbVie | |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Energy |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing process technician and an engineering assistant in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Process Technician | Engineering Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Purdue University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing process technicians' and engineering assistants' demographics:
| Manufacturing Process Technician | Engineering Assistant | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.9% Female, 25.1% | Male, 68.8% Female, 31.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 11.2% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |