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The differences between materials specialists and materials 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 $35,721 average annual salary of a materials technician.
The top three skills for a materials specialist include customer service, logistics and data entry. The most important skills for a materials technician are patients, customer service, and patient care.
| Materials Specialist | Materials Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $44,143 | $35,721 |
| Hourly rate | $21.22 | $17.17 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 38,001 | 33,176 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| 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 materials technician is responsible for inspecting and testing tools and materials required for production operations and manufacturing processes, ensuring its stability and efficiency to support business functions and produce high-quality outputs. Materials technicians review the production process and recommend cost-reduction resources by negotiating with trusted suppliers and vendors. They also identify the safety and reliability of materials to prevent operational delays and avoid potential hazards within the work area. A materials technician must be able to operate manufacturing equipment to develop improved techniques and write report findings.
Materials specialists and materials technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Materials Specialist | Materials Technician | |
| Average salary | $44,143 | $35,721 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $79,000 | Between $27,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Diego, CA | Rahway, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Apple | Oak Ridge National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a materials specialist and a materials technician in terms of educational background:
| Materials Specialist | Materials Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between materials specialists' and materials technicians' demographics:
| Materials Specialist | Materials Technician | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 64.4% Female, 35.6% | Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4% |
| 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, 10.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 6.4% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |