Plastic process technician vs molding technician

The differences between plastic process technicians and molding technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a plastic process technician has an average salary of $47,034, which is higher than the $40,696 average annual salary of a molding technician.

The top three skills for a plastic process technician include plastic injection, process changes and lean manufacturing. The most important skills for a molding technician are preventative maintenance, hand tools, and auxiliary equipment.

Plastic process technician vs molding technician overview

	Plastic Process Technician	Molding Technician
Yearly salary	$47,034	$40,696
Hourly rate	$22.61	$19.57
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	29,311	10,231
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	High School Diploma, 44%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	-	-

Plastic process technician vs molding technician salary

Plastic process technicians and molding technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Plastic Process Technician	Molding Technician
Average salary	$47,034	$40,696
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $61,000	Between $32,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	-	Kearney, NE
Highest paying state	-	Connecticut
Best paying company	-	Cummins
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between plastic process technician and molding technician education

There are a few differences between a plastic process technician and a molding technician in terms of educational background:

	Plastic Process Technician	Molding Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	High School Diploma, 44%
Most common major	Plastics Engineering	Business
Most common college	-	-

Plastic process technician vs molding technician demographics

Here are the differences between plastic process technicians' and molding technicians' demographics:

	Plastic Process Technician	Molding Technician
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 89.6% Female, 10.4%	Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 7.7% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 7.4% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between plastic process technician and molding technician duties and responsibilities

Plastic process technician example responsibilities.

Manage utilization of LOTO procedures, GMP standards and OSHA safety standards.
Utilize basic laboratory procedures and sterilization techniques and receive training in OSHA rules and regulations.
Manufacture air bags in the only Nike facility in the world that focuses on air bags for shoes.

Molding technician example responsibilities.

Manage utilization of LOTO procedures, GMP standards and OSHA safety standards.
Operate overhead cranes and forklifts and perform die-setter duties.
Operate and set-up CNC mills to make tire molds.
Work within the parameters of QS-9000 , 9001 and ISO 14000 certification requirements.
Track and maintain various SPC and quality control documentation to adhere to FDA requirements.
Use of milling machines, lathes, drill presses, sanders, grinders and polishers.

Plastic process technician vs molding technician skills

Common plastic process technician skills

Plastic Injection, 15%
Process Changes, 12%
Lean Manufacturing, 10%
Quality Issues, 9%
SPC, 8%
QA, 7%

Common molding technician skills

Preventative Maintenance, 9%
Hand Tools, 7%
Auxiliary Equipment, 7%
Math, 6%
Quality Checks, 6%
Basic Math, 5%

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Plastic Process Technician
Plastic Process Technician vs Molding Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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