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The differences between materials technicians and inventory specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an inventory specialist has an average salary of $35,752, 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 specialist are customer service, sales floor, and reservations.
| Materials Technician | Inventory Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $35,721 | $35,752 |
| Hourly rate | $17.17 | $17.19 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 33,176 | 161,107 |
| 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 Specialist's responsibility is to oversee the inventory in a warehouse or establishment. Most of the tasks of an Inventory Specialist revolve around monitoring the requisition, storage, and deliveries of supplies and merchandise to ensure the quality and quantity of the products. Moreover, the Inventory Specialist also has the responsibility to coordinate with store management when issues arise, train newly hired staff to be a valuable part of the workforce, and provide inventory reports and records to the administration.
Materials technicians and inventory specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Materials Technician | Inventory Specialist | |
| Average salary | $35,721 | $35,752 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $47,000 | Between $25,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rahway, NJ | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | Ensign Energy |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a materials technician and an inventory specialist in terms of educational background:
| Materials Technician | Inventory Specialist | |
| 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 specialists' demographics:
| Materials Technician | Inventory Specialist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4% | Male, 58.9% Female, 41.1% |
| 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, 10.2% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 7.2% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |