Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between materials technicians and distribution technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a materials technician has an average salary of $35,721, which is higher than the $33,564 average annual salary of a distribution technician.
The top three skills for a materials technician include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for a distribution technician are patients, computer system, and data entry.
| Materials Technician | Distribution Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $35,721 | $33,564 |
| Hourly rate | $17.17 | $16.14 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 33,176 | 154,925 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 31% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
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 technicians and distribution technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Materials Technician | Distribution Technician | |
| Average salary | $35,721 | $33,564 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $47,000 | Between $26,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rahway, NJ | Vallejo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | Brigham and Women's Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a materials technician and a distribution technician in terms of educational background:
| Materials Technician | Distribution Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between materials technicians' and distribution technicians' demographics:
| Materials Technician | Distribution Technician | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4% | Male, 70.8% Female, 29.2% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |