What does a manufacturing technician do?
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.
Manufacturing technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real manufacturing technician resumes:
- Relay to the oncoming shift everything accomplish and the projected workload through use of PowerPoint and excel.
- Perform adjustments to CIP equipment and run computer programs in order to automate the cleaning and sanitizing of the equipment.
- Require reading, writing and arithmetic skills, oral communication, manual dexterity and successful completion of on-the-job training.
- Inspect ladders, tools, job sites, fire extinguishers, valves, etc.
- Operate buffing machines that are split for polishers.
- Provide needed training for new specification fab wide.
- Implement WIP (product and test wafers) strategies.
- Assemble and test PCB boards, and multiple chambers.
- Train new employees in chemical etching and mandrel preparation procedures.
- Assemble mechanical systems and build RF components under a microscope.
- Stage, coordinate and operate the floor for max wip turns.
- Improve and audit existing site EHS practices with cross functional team work.
- Deliver and pick up material, review inventory records, operate equipment, able to use ladders.
- Be ready to assist with process improvements and troubleshoot difficulties that are beyond the scope of the operator.
- Perform design verification, process validation, and QC inspection to ensure the design criteria has been meet the specification.
Manufacturing technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 6% of Manufacturing Technicians are proficient in GMP, Continuous Improvement, and Hand Tools. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Manufacturing Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- GMP, 6%
Operated general manufacturing equipment in accordance with current GMP's or standardized procedures and within safety guidelines.
- Continuous Improvement, 5%
Received recognition for implementing continuous improvement procedures involving modification to machinery and manufacturing processes, as well as several safety procedures.
- Hand Tools, 5%
Manufactured electrical enclosures utilizing pneumatic/power/hand tools.
- Production Equipment, 5%
Monitor production equipment status while also performing quality monitors and failed monitor response to ensure minimum downtime and to maximize production.
- Preventative Maintenance, 4%
Performed daily PM's (Preventative Maintenance) and periodic chemical bottle replacements on specialized processing equipment to minimize nonstandard events.
- Safety Procedures, 4%
Comply with safety procedures and practices personally and departmentally while adhering to well defined work instructions.
"gmp," "continuous improvement," and "hand tools" are among the most common skills that manufacturing technicians use at work. You can find even more manufacturing technician responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a manufacturing technician to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "industrial engineering technologists and technicians assess changes in conditions, operations, and the environment to help industrial engineers figure out how systems should work." Manufacturing technicians often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "check certificate of analysis on all inbound deliveries to ensure compliance with fda, mars standards, and more. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform manufacturing technician duties is communication skills. Manufacturing technicians responsibilities require that "industrial engineering technologists and technicians must listen carefully to instructions from engineers and must clearly articulate problems to their supervisors." Manufacturing technicians also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "maintain and organize a cleanliness work environment, including (6s) strong communication and written skills. "
Detail oriented. This is an important skill for manufacturing technicians to perform their duties. For an example of how manufacturing technician responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "industrial engineering technologists and technicians must record precisely what they measure and observe." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a manufacturing technician: "follow detailed documentation as stated by federal regulations and follow all fda regulations per standard operation procedures (sops). ".
Math skills. A big part of what manufacturing technicians do relies on "math skills." You can see how essential it is to manufacturing technician responsibilities because "industrial engineering technologists and technicians use mathematics and statistical techniques to analyze data collected from studies." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical manufacturing technician tasks: "performed math calculations required for batch processing such as determining loss amounts, process yields and accountability and verifying inventory reconciliations. "
The three companies that hire the most manufacturing technicians are:
- Applied Materials294 manufacturing technicians jobs
- L3Harris72 manufacturing technicians jobs
- Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.64 manufacturing technicians jobs
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Compare different manufacturing technicians
Manufacturing technician vs. Production operator
A production operator is responsible for handling and monitoring manufacturing machines in a factory or similar establishment, ensuring that everything is running smoothly and according to schedule. Aside from assisting with the processing and packaging of goods, a production operator must also conduct necessary inspections to the machine or equipment that they are using to make sure that it is in good condition and is safe to use. Should there be any issues or concerns regarding safety, it is essential to notify a supervisor right away.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, manufacturing technician responsibilities require skills like "continuous improvement," "cleanliness," "process improvement," and "cell culture." Meanwhile a typical production operator has skills in areas such as "safety rules," "customer service," "safety standards," and "minor maintenance." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Production operators earn the highest salaries when working in the manufacturing industry, with an average yearly salary of $37,865. On the other hand, manufacturing technicians are paid more in the finance industry with an average salary of $42,022.The education levels that production operators earn slightly differ from manufacturing technicians. In particular, production operators are 1.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a manufacturing technician. Additionally, they're 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Manufacturing technician vs. Assembly technician
Assembly technicians are responsible for constructing small parts and components to create a new product according to the specifications of a client or a supervisor. An assembly technician performs diagnostic tests on the assembled product to ensure efficiency and conduct adjustments as needed. An assembly technician also provides manual instructional guides for product use and troubleshooting procedures. Assembly technicians must be knowledgeable about the technology and mechanical industry, as well as have the ability to analyze designs as a guide for creating high-quality products.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that manufacturing technician responsibilities requires skills like "gmp," "continuous improvement," "preventative maintenance," and "cip." But an assembly technician might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "customer service," "sub assemblies," "mechanical assembly," and "engineering drawings."
On average, assembly technicians earn a lower salary than manufacturing technicians. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, assembly technicians earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $37,725. Whereas manufacturing technicians have higher pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $42,022.assembly technicians earn similar levels of education than manufacturing technicians in general. They're 1.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Manufacturing technician vs. Equipment maintenance technician
An equipment maintenance technician is responsible for ensuring the stability and efficiency of all production tools and equipment to support smooth business functions and operations. Equipment maintenance technicians conduct regular maintenance for optimization, repair defective components, and inspect equipment parts to identify possible upgrades and replacements. They also assemble equipment and machinery, requiring them to have excellent mechanical and critical-thinking skills to analyze schematics and blueprints accurately. An equipment maintenance technician must be highly communicative and organizational, especially in adhering to the highest safety standards and protocols during operations.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a manufacturing technician is likely to be skilled in "gmp," "continuous improvement," "preventative maintenance," and "math," while a typical equipment maintenance technician is skilled in "preventive maintenance," "maintenance procedures," "ac," and "mechanical equipment."
Equipment maintenance technicians earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $46,565. Comparatively, manufacturing technicians have the highest earning potential in the finance industry, with an average salary of $42,022.When it comes to education, equipment maintenance technicians tend to earn similar degree levels compared to manufacturing technicians. In fact, they're 1.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Manufacturing technician vs. Quality assurance technician
Quality assurance is an essential part of a company that offers products and services. It is critical that the company's output remains consistent and up to par with community standards. It is the assistant quality assurance manager's role to inspect, monitor, and evaluate the quality of every product. The goal is to establish customer satisfaction and trust. The assistant quality assurance manager works with the head manager and helps generate reports of daily activities for executive evaluations.
Types of manufacturing technician
Updated January 8, 2025
