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The differences between manufacturing process technicians and quality laboratory 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 process technician and a quality laboratory technician. Additionally, a manufacturing process technician has an average salary of $43,212, which is higher than the $38,902 average annual salary of a quality laboratory technician.
The top three skills for a manufacturing process technician include GMP, standard operating procedure and autoclaves. The most important skills for a quality laboratory technician are lab equipment, quality lab, and test results.
| Manufacturing Process Technician | Quality Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $43,212 | $38,902 |
| Hourly rate | $20.77 | $18.70 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 85,379 | 104,887 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| 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.
A Quality Laboratory Technician ensures that lab procedures and equipment meet a certain standard, as well as monitors production. They maintain quality service and a safe and healthy work environment through following organization standards.
Manufacturing process technicians and quality laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Process Technician | Quality Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $43,212 | $38,902 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $60,000 | Between $31,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Hillsboro, OR |
| Highest paying state | California | Idaho |
| Best paying company | AbbVie | OMNOVA Solutions |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing process technician and a quality laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Process Technician | Quality Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Business | Biology |
| Most common college | Purdue University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing process technicians' and quality laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Manufacturing Process Technician | Quality Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.9% Female, 25.1% | Male, 54.1% Female, 45.9% |
| 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, 9.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 7.5% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |