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The differences between materials technicians and inventory controllers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an inventory controller has an average salary of $36,911, which is higher than the $35,721 average annual salary of a materials technician.
The top three skills for a materials technician include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for an inventory controller are inventory control, customer service, and data entry.
| Materials Technician | Inventory Controller | |
| Yearly salary | $35,721 | $36,911 |
| Hourly rate | $17.17 | $17.75 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 33,176 | 140,496 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| 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 controller is responsible for performing duties for the inventory department of an organization. Inventory controllers ensure the adequacy of the product and materials needed for daily operations. They maintain inventory reports, manage stock supplies, negotiate with third-party vendors for orders of quality products, monitor deliveries, verifying orders for shipment, handling the employee and customers' requests for supplies, and receiving orders efficiently. Inventory controllers keep receipts of all inventory transactions, as well as inspecting the quality of the inventory items, requiring them to have excellent analytical and critical-thinking skills.
Materials technicians and inventory controllers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Materials Technician | Inventory Controller | |
| Average salary | $35,721 | $36,911 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $47,000 | Between $28,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rahway, NJ | Everett, MA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | General Dynamics Mission Systems |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a materials technician and an inventory controller in terms of educational background:
| Materials Technician | Inventory Controller | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between materials technicians' and inventory controllers' demographics:
| Materials Technician | Inventory Controller | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4% | Male, 59.4% Female, 40.6% |
| 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, 9.8% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% Asian, 6.7% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |