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The differences between product development technicians and process technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a product development technician, becoming a process technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a product development technician has an average salary of $82,950, which is higher than the $39,462 average annual salary of a process technician.
The top three skills for a product development technician include R, product development and lab equipment. The most important skills for a process technician are basic math, patients, and OSHA.
| Product Development Technician | Process Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $82,950 | $39,462 |
| Hourly rate | $39.88 | $18.97 |
| Growth rate | - | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 131,939 | 74,367 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 50 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
Product development technicians are responsible for expanding and providing improvement to new products and implementing appropriate tests. They help grow a team framework for the organization. Their duties include arranging oral and written reports for each product development projects and examine their performance. Also, they preserve a clean and neat laboratory area and make sure of the viability of all equipment. Additionally, they create drafts for each product and work instructions documents, as well as install and examine all test equipment for modification.
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.
Product development technicians and process technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Development Technician | Process Technician | |
| Average salary | $82,950 | $39,462 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $111,000 | Between $30,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Austin, TX | Santa Clara, CA |
| Highest paying state | Texas | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Western Digital | HP |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product development technician and a process technician in terms of educational background:
| Product Development Technician | Process Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | Purdue University | Purdue University |
Here are the differences between product development technicians' and process technicians' demographics:
| Product Development Technician | Process Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.5% Female, 32.5% | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |