What does a materials technician do?
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.
Materials technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real materials technician resumes:
- Manage ISO documentation for corporate purchasing.
- Perform construction surveying and Geotechnical investigations as required.
- Direct inbound and outbound logistics operations, such as transportation and warehouse activities, safety performance, and logistics quality management.
- Lumber, shingles, cement blocks, and etc.
- Ensure sales for everyday needs of lumber, shingles, and many more supplies to customers and contractors.
Materials technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of Materials Technicians are proficient in Patients, Customer Service, and Patient Care. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Customer-service skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Materials Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 10%
Released deceased patients to funereal home facilities and scheduled autopsies.
- Customer Service, 9%
Simplified customer service order entry processes by programming the product configuration system parameters to pull specific options for each individual table.
- Patient Care, 8%
Disinfect patient care equipment (e.g., infusion machines, DVT machines, suction pumps).
- Data Entry, 8%
Performed daily data entry activities.
- Asphalt, 5%
Perform laboratory quality testing on materials such as Asphalt and Aggregates including physical property and chemical property testing.
- Management System, 4%
Inventory includes clinical and non-clinical items which are managed using the Lawson Inventory Management System.
Most materials technicians use their skills in "patients," "customer service," and "patient care" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential materials technician responsibilities here:
Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for a materials technician to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "production, planning, and expediting clerks are frequently in contact with suppliers, vendors, and production managers and need to communicate the firm’s scheduling needs effectively." Additionally, a materials technician resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "included communication patients, vendors, visitors and department staff. "
Customer-service skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling materials technician duties is customer-service skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "stock clerks sometimes interact with customers in retail stores and may have to get the item the customer is looking for from the storeroom." According to a materials technician resume, here's how materials technicians can utilize customer-service skills in their job responsibilities: "prepared paint according to customer specifications using data entry"
Detail oriented. This is an important skill for materials technicians to perform their duties. For an example of how materials technician responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "material and product inspecting clerks check items for defects, some of which are small and difficult to spot." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a materials technician: "performed highly skilled work in firefighting, patient care, technical rescue, hazardous materials incidents and other service-oriented tasks. ".
Math skills. A big part of what materials technicians do relies on "math skills." You can see how essential it is to materials technician responsibilities because "some material recording clerks use math to calculate shipping costs or take measurements." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical materials technician tasks: "conducted a quantitative analysis to evaluate the efficiency and productivity of the supply assembly line. "
The three companies that hire the most materials technicians are:
- Community Health Systems14 materials technicians jobs
- Select Medical14 materials technicians jobs
- Cleveland Clinic13 materials technicians jobs
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Materials technician vs. Supply clerk
A supply clerk works in a warehouse environment helping businesses maintain operations. Supply clerks' duties may vary from job to job. They track receipts, fill orders, manage inventories, report to their supervisors, and update records. They oversee the incoming and outgoing equipment, property, and supply. Also, they execute short-term jobs as they plan to maintain enough funding. They should have skills in attention to detail, leadership, and communication.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a materials technician are more likely to require skills like "patients," "patient care," "data entry," and "asphalt." On the other hand, a job as a supply clerk requires skills like "logistical support," "property accountability," "physical inventory," and "inventory reports." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Supply clerks earn the highest salaries when working in the manufacturing industry, with an average yearly salary of $40,845. On the other hand, materials technicians are paid more in the technology industry with an average salary of $39,411.supply clerks tend to reach similar levels of education than materials technicians. In fact, supply clerks are 0.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Materials technician vs. Inventory control clerk
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.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, materials technician responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "patients," "patient care," "asphalt," and "osha." Meanwhile, an inventory control clerk has duties that require skills in areas such as "ex," "third-party logistics," "wms," and "warehouse inventory." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Inventory control clerks may earn a lower salary than materials technicians, but inventory control clerks earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $36,946. On the other hand, materials technicians receive higher pay in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $39,411.inventory control clerks earn similar levels of education than materials technicians in general. They're 1.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Materials technician vs. Warehouse coordinator
A warehouse coordinator is responsible for monitoring the supply and distribution operations of a warehouse, loading and unloading merchandise from the delivery trucks, and storing items appropriately on the facility. Warehouse coordinators assist in packing and labeling items, pulling out products from delivery, and ensuring the correct quantity and quality of the items before release. They also inspect the efficiency and performance of warehouse tools and equipment, especially on schedule for regular maintenance, and call for repairs as needed.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a materials technician is likely to be skilled in "patients," "patient care," "asphalt," and "construction materials," while a typical warehouse coordinator is skilled in "warehouse functions," "wms," "warehouse equipment," and "outbound shipments."
Warehouse coordinators earn the highest salary when working in the health care industry, where they receive an average salary of $36,509. Comparatively, materials technicians have the highest earning potential in the technology industry, with an average salary of $39,411.Most warehouse coordinators achieve a similar degree level compared to materials technicians. For example, they're 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Materials technician vs. Inventory controller
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.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between materials technicians and inventory controllers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a materials technician might have more use for skills like "patients," "patient care," "asphalt," and "osha." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of inventory controllers require skills like "perishables," "warehouse inventory," "rf scanner," and "erp. "
Inventory controllers enjoy the best pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $35,671. For comparison, materials technicians earn the highest salary in the technology industry.The average resume of inventory controllers showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to materials technicians. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 0.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.1%.Types of materials technician
Updated January 8, 2025











