Production operator vs production technician

The differences between production operators and production technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a production technician has an average salary of $37,550, which is higher than the $35,185 average annual salary of a production operator.

The top three skills for a production operator include basic math, math and quality checks. The most important skills for a production technician are hand tools, preventative maintenance, and quality checks.

Production operator vs production technician overview

	Production Operator	Production Technician
Yearly salary	$35,185	$37,550
Hourly rate	$16.92	$18.05
Growth rate	7%	3%
Number of jobs	117,254	135,266
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Average age	43	45
Years of experience	-	2

What does a production operator do?

A production operator is responsible for handling and monitoring manufacturing machines in a factory or similar establishment, ensuring that everything is running smoothly and according to schedule. Aside from assisting with the processing and packaging of goods, a production operator must also conduct necessary inspections to the machine or equipment that they are using to make sure that it is in good condition and is safe to use. Should there be any issues or concerns regarding safety, it is essential to notify a supervisor right away.

What does a production technician do?

A production technician is an individual who is responsible for assembling and testing manufactured goods before they are marketed to the general public. Production technicians usually work with manufacturing and quality assurance personnel to ensure that high-quality work standards are implemented by workers. By maintaining high-quality work, production technicians must implement up-to-date, efficient methods of production as well as production equipment maintenance procedures. They also schedule training for workers and educate them regularly on health and safety regulations.

Production operator vs production technician salary

Production operators and production technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Production Operator	Production Technician
Average salary	$35,185	$37,550
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $44,000	Between $28,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Bellevue, WA	Frederick, MD
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Maryland
Best paying company	BD	Cornerstone Research
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Health Care

Differences between production operator and production technician education

There are a few differences between a production operator and a production technician in terms of educational background:

	Production Operator	Production Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	Stanford University

Production operator vs production technician demographics

Here are the differences between production operators' and production technicians' demographics:

	Production Operator	Production Technician
Average age	43	45
Gender ratio	Male, 67.7% Female, 32.3%	Male, 71.4% Female, 28.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 7.8% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 7.5% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	5%	6%

Differences between production operator and production technician duties and responsibilities

Production operator example responsibilities.

Experience following procedures and managing GMP documentation.
Operate stitching machine for all check bindery.
Break down freight onto production line, label/tot, Rf scan guns
Cut and inspect sheets, verify laser etching, and circuit test etched sheets.
Operate CNC machine, parts washer, and quality testing of parts prior to shipping.
Handle daily flow of paper work of production for company's records and for FDA records.

Production technician example responsibilities.

Relay to the oncoming shift everything accomplish and the projected workload through use of PowerPoint and excel.
Implement and develop safety standards and operations exceeding those require by OSHA.
Can demonstrate good manual dexterity.
Analyze QC test samples using multisizer machine.
Implement and oversee plant's safety program including LOTO program.
Test and repair rf system compponents of cellular test set.

Production operator vs production technician skills

Common production operator skills

Basic Math, 7%
Math, 6%
Quality Checks, 5%
Quality Standards, 4%
Hand Tools, 4%
GMP, 4%

Common production technician skills

Hand Tools, 7%
Preventative Maintenance, 6%
Quality Checks, 5%
Production Equipment, 5%
Basic Math, 5%
Safety Procedures, 5%

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Production and Manufacturing Industry
Production Operator
Production Operator vs Production Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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