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The differences between materials specialists and distribution technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a materials specialist has an average salary of $44,143, which is higher than the $33,564 average annual salary of a distribution technician.
The top three skills for a materials specialist include customer service, logistics and data entry. The most important skills for a distribution technician are patients, computer system, and data entry.
| Materials Specialist | Distribution Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $44,143 | $33,564 |
| Hourly rate | $21.22 | $16.14 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 38,001 | 154,925 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 31% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A materials specialist is responsible for researching efficient and high-quality materials for production and manufacturing processes, following the designs and specifications of the engineering team and design analysts. Materials specialists identify cost-reduction materials by coordinating with trusted suppliers and vendors and determine the suitability of these items in the supply chain. They conduct data and statistical analysis to develop strategic techniques that would minimize the company's expenditures and cost. A materials specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in writing expense reports and discuss findings to the senior management.
A distribution technician has a variety of duties and responsibilities, including collecting and delivering materials, receiving documents, packages, and messages, and transporting them safely to their destination. Other tasks that you will likely perform include managing the inventory and completing data entry, preparing documentation and reports, and coordinating logistics for the shipment of products. Additional duties include providing quality service to customers and distributors, resolving inventory discrepancies, and collecting and updating customer information. You may also be tasked to conduct field and laboratory testing of construction materials.
Materials specialists and distribution technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Materials Specialist | Distribution Technician | |
| Average salary | $44,143 | $33,564 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $79,000 | Between $26,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Diego, CA | Vallejo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Apple | Brigham and Women's Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a materials specialist and a distribution technician in terms of educational background:
| Materials Specialist | Distribution Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between materials specialists' and distribution technicians' demographics:
| Materials Specialist | Distribution Technician | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 64.4% Female, 35.6% | Male, 70.8% Female, 29.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 6.6% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 7.0% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |