Printing press machinist vs tool technician

The differences between printing press machinists and tool technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a printing press machinist, becoming a tool technician takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a tool technician has an average salary of $42,908, which is higher than the $40,934 average annual salary of a printing press machinist.

The top three skills for a printing press machinist include punch press, calipers and press machine. The most important skills for a tool technician are grinders, hand tools, and CNC.

Printing press machinist vs tool technician overview

	Printing Press Machinist	Tool Technician
Yearly salary	$40,934	$42,908
Hourly rate	$19.68	$20.63
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	13,151	78,258
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 54%	High School Diploma, 33%
Average age	48	54
Years of experience	4	6

Printing press machinist vs tool technician salary

Printing press machinists and tool technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Printing Press Machinist	Tool Technician
Average salary	$40,934	$42,908
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $53,000	Between $29,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City	-	Fort Wayne, IN
Highest paying state	-	Indiana
Best paying company	-	Rivian
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between printing press machinist and tool technician education

There are a few differences between a printing press machinist and a tool technician in terms of educational background:

	Printing Press Machinist	Tool Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 54%	High School Diploma, 33%
Most common major	Graphic Design	Business
Most common college	-	-

Printing press machinist vs tool technician demographics

Here are the differences between printing press machinists' and tool technicians' demographics:

	Printing Press Machinist	Tool Technician
Average age	48	54
Gender ratio	Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9%	Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.3% White, 71.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 2.4% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 6.5% Asian, 2.7% White, 84.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between printing press machinist and tool technician duties and responsibilities

Printing press machinist example responsibilities.

Manage output according to company quality standards and corresponding ISO certification.
Install UV ink dryers and all other duties as described at Grafix.
Work closely with management and engineering staff to ensure efficient and safe methods are utilized in producing high quality aerospace components.
Perform programming, set up and run the engineering projects on Hurco machine.
Fabricate fixturing used in Kovar ceramic brazing operation.

Tool technician example responsibilities.

Use specialize tools and machinery (CNC milling machine, manual lathe, manual milling machine and surface grinders . )
Program and operate wire EDM machine, milling machines, drill presses, surface grinders, lathes and jig grinders.
Perform mig, tig, and stick welds.
Skil welder utilizing TIG, MIG and stick welding processes.
Work on and troubleshoot the press machinery using calipers, micrometers and other precision tools.
Learned to use a TIG welder . )

Printing press machinist vs tool technician skills

Common printing press machinist skills

Punch Press, 44%
Calipers, 26%
Press Machine, 25%
RAN, 6%

Common tool technician skills

Grinders, 11%
Hand Tools, 10%
CNC, 9%
Calipers, 7%
Micrometers, 6%
Jigs, 6%

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Printing Press Machinist
Printing Press Machinist vs Tool Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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