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The differences between materials technicians and inventory control clerks 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 $35,634 average annual salary of an inventory control clerk.
The top three skills for a materials technician include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for an inventory control clerk are inventory control, customer service, and data entry.
| Materials Technician | Inventory Control Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $35,721 | $35,634 |
| Hourly rate | $17.17 | $17.13 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 33,176 | 254,804 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | High School Diploma, 33% |
| 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.
An inventory control clerk is responsible for managing the stock inventory, recording incoming and outgoing deliveries, and inspecting proper labeling before moving the products to the storage areas. Inventory control clerks resolve inventory discrepancies, checking and reviewing product details and reports from the warehouse software database. They also monitor shipment details, confirm orders, and process payments. An inventory control clerk must have excellent knowledge of data processing since this job requires them to perform various administrative and clerical tasks as needed to ensure the smooth operations within the department.
Materials technicians and inventory control clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Materials Technician | Inventory Control Clerk | |
| Average salary | $35,721 | $35,634 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $47,000 | Between $29,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rahway, NJ | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | BD |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a materials technician and an inventory control clerk in terms of educational background:
| Materials Technician | Inventory Control Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | High School Diploma, 33% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between materials technicians' and inventory control clerks' demographics:
| Materials Technician | Inventory Control Clerk | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4% | Male, 49.6% Female, 50.4% |
| 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, 9.9% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 6.9% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |