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The differences between materials technicians and warehouse employees 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 $32,510 average annual salary of a warehouse employee.
The top three skills for a materials technician include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for a warehouse employee are pallets, customer service, and cleanliness.
| Materials Technician | Warehouse Employee | |
| Yearly salary | $35,721 | $32,510 |
| Hourly rate | $17.17 | $15.63 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 33,176 | 186,499 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| 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 warehouse employee is responsible for assisting high-level operations of the warehouse or distribution centers, organizing merchandise inventory, packing and labeling products, operating warehouse tools and equipment, and processing shipment orders efficiently and accurately. Warehouse employees maintain the cleanliness and orderliness of the facilities to avoid potential hazards and delay during operations. They assist in loading and unloading items from delivery vehicles to different areas of the warehouse. A warehouse employee may also perform administrative duties, such as responding to customers' inquiries and concerns through calls and e-mails, resolving complaints, and writing reports.
Materials technicians and warehouse employees have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Materials Technician | Warehouse Employee | |
| Average salary | $35,721 | $32,510 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $47,000 | Between $26,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rahway, NJ | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Washington |
| Best paying company | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | ALDI USA |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a materials technician and a warehouse employee in terms of educational background:
| Materials Technician | Warehouse Employee | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between materials technicians' and warehouse employees' demographics:
| Materials Technician | Warehouse Employee | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4% | Male, 82.7% Female, 17.3% |
| 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, 8.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 6.8% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |