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The differences between product development technicians and research and development 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 research and development technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a research and development technician has an average salary of $83,552, which is higher than the $82,950 average annual salary of a product development technician.
The top three skills for a product development technician include R, product development and lab equipment. The most important skills for a research and development technician are R, project management, and product management.
| Product Development Technician | Research And Development Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $82,950 | $83,552 |
| Hourly rate | $39.88 | $40.17 |
| Growth rate | - | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 131,939 | 111,268 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 50 | 40 |
| 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 research and development technician specializes in performing mathematical and laboratory operations to support projects concerning products and development. Usually functioning as an assistant to a more experienced researcher, a research and development technician's responsibilities revolve around conducting analysis, building models and prototypes, producing reports, and performing various experiments. Furthermore, as a technician, it is crucial to coordinate with all team members, keeping an accurate record of all processes while adhering to the company's standards and regulations.
Product development technicians and research and development technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Development Technician | Research And Development Technician | |
| Average salary | $82,950 | $83,552 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $111,000 | Between $55,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | Austin, TX | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Texas | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Western Digital | PayPal |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product development technician and a research and development technician in terms of educational background:
| Product Development Technician | Research And Development Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | Purdue University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between product development technicians' and research and development technicians' demographics:
| Product Development Technician | Research And Development Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.5% Female, 32.5% | Male, 72.5% Female, 27.5% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 15.4% White, 50.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |