Mechanical assembly technician vs mechanical laboratory technician

The differences between mechanical assembly technicians and mechanical laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a mechanical assembly technician, becoming a mechanical laboratory technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a mechanical laboratory technician has an average salary of $43,949, which is higher than the $40,177 average annual salary of a mechanical assembly technician.

The top three skills for a mechanical assembly technician include hand tools, calipers and sub assemblies. The most important skills for a mechanical laboratory technician are test equipment, test results, and hand tools.

Mechanical assembly technician vs mechanical laboratory technician overview

	Mechanical Assembly Technician	Mechanical Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$40,177	$43,949
Hourly rate	$19.32	$21.13
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	34,754	61,287
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Associate Degree, 40%
Average age	45	44
Years of experience	6	12

Mechanical assembly technician vs mechanical laboratory technician salary

Mechanical assembly technicians and mechanical laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mechanical Assembly Technician	Mechanical Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$40,177	$43,949
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $51,000	Between $33,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	San Jose, CA	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Baker Hughes	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between mechanical assembly technician and mechanical laboratory technician education

There are a few differences between a mechanical assembly technician and a mechanical laboratory technician in terms of educational background:

	Mechanical Assembly Technician	Mechanical Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Associate Degree, 40%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Mechanical Engineering
Most common college	Purdue University	Northwestern University

Mechanical assembly technician vs mechanical laboratory technician demographics

Here are the differences between mechanical assembly technicians' and mechanical laboratory technicians' demographics:

	Mechanical Assembly Technician	Mechanical Laboratory Technician
Average age	45	44
Gender ratio	Male, 86.3% Female, 13.7%	Male, 89.0% Female, 11.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 11.2% White, 58.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 12.1% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	8%

Differences between mechanical assembly technician and mechanical laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Mechanical assembly technician example responsibilities.

Test and calibration of transducers.
Require knowledge of GMP, IPC and ISO criteria.
Perform final QC review of products prior to shipment.
Mount and secure PC boards, terminal blocks, relays and switches.
Complete inspections of PCB's before moving them to the next process step.
Install components, unit, wiring and using small hand tools such as tweezers, screwdrivers.

Mechanical laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Lead aerobic, anaerobic and UV light testing, chemical residue testing and centrifuge to separate chemicals from water.
Assemble, test, troubleshoot and inspect precision hydraulic components for commercial and military aviation
Maintain equipment for normal operation and troubleshoot during mechanical failure.
Design and manufacturing of research relate hardware by using solid model computer programs and advance CNC machinery.
Test electro-mechanical subsystems for circuit integrity and operational reliability.
Be responsible for a variety of complex assembly operations including RF electromechanical assembly and PCB rework.

Mechanical assembly technician vs mechanical laboratory technician skills

Common mechanical assembly technician skills

Hand Tools, 19%
Calipers, 6%
Sub Assemblies, 6%
Quality Standards, 5%
Troubleshoot, 5%
Mechanical Components, 4%

Common mechanical laboratory technician skills

Test Equipment, 15%
Test Results, 13%
Hand Tools, 13%
CNC, 7%
Data Collection, 7%
Calipers, 7%

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Mechanical Assembly Technician
Mechanical Assembly Technician vs Mechanical Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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