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The differences between manufacturing technicians and process technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a manufacturing technician, becoming a process technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a process technician has an average salary of $39,462, which is higher than the $37,853 average annual salary of a manufacturing technician.
The top three skills for a manufacturing technician include GMP, continuous improvement and hand tools. The most important skills for a process technician are basic math, patients, and OSHA.
| Manufacturing Technician | Process Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,853 | $39,462 |
| Hourly rate | $18.20 | $18.97 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 76,490 | 74,367 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A manufacturing technician, or often called a manufacturing production technician, is an individual who is responsible for setting and testing manufacturing machinery or equipment. To set up the machines, manufacturing technicians will use electronic, electrical, mechanical, or computer technologies. They are responsible for gathering data from their part in the manufacturing process and reporting it to their production or manufacturing engineers. When handling machines or equipment, manufacturing technicians must strictly follow their health and safety procedures and protocols.
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 technicians and process technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Technician | Process Technician | |
| Average salary | $37,853 | $39,462 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $52,000 | Between $30,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Framingham, MA | Santa Clara, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Qorvo | HP |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing technician and a process technician in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Technician | Process Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Purdue University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing technicians' and process technicians' demographics:
| Manufacturing Technician | Process Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.4% Female, 25.6% | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 8.9% White, 59.2% 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% |