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The differences between process technicians and set up 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 process technician, becoming a set up technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a process technician has an average salary of $39,462, which is higher than the $36,486 average annual salary of a set up technician.
The top three skills for a process technician include basic math, patients and OSHA. The most important skills for a set up technician are hand tools, CNC, and safety procedures.
| Process Technician | Set Up Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $39,462 | $36,486 |
| Hourly rate | $18.97 | $17.54 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 74,367 | 53,072 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
A process technician is responsible for managing the equipment and machinery used for various industries, such as manufacturing and engineering. Process technicians must have a strong knowledge of the mechanical industry, especially on operating certain equipment types and making adjustments on its features as needed, depending on the needs of the operation. They also run diagnostic tests to check a machine's working condition to ensure that it's free of any inconsistencies. A process technician also helps develop structure methods by communicating with the technical team and escalating all defective findings to the supervisor.
Set up technicians are skilled employees who assemble and disassemble manufacturing machines as well as perform preventative maintenance to ensure that the manufacturing firm can produce high-quality products. These technicians must inspect products so that they can locate malfunctions in machine operations and then inform their supervisor about the repairs needed. They must observe production equipment to ensure its correct operation and collaborate with the engineering team to adjust the equipment when needed. Set up technicians must also assist in teaching new operators about the firm's standard operating procedures of production equipment.
Process technicians and set up technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Process Technician | Set Up Technician | |
| Average salary | $39,462 | $36,486 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $51,000 | Between $28,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Clara, CA | Manchester, NH |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New York |
| Best paying company | HP | Zoetis |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a process technician and a set up technician in terms of educational background:
| Process Technician | Set Up Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Purdue University | - |
Here are the differences between process technicians' and set up technicians' demographics:
| Process Technician | Set Up Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% | Male, 90.1% Female, 9.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 7.6% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 8.9% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 11% |