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The differences between production specialists and manufacturing associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a production specialist has an average salary of $42,090, which is higher than the $34,830 average annual salary of a manufacturing associate.
The top three skills for a production specialist include food handling, customer service and preventative maintenance. The most important skills for a manufacturing associate are basic math, cell culture, and math.
| Production Specialist | Manufacturing Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $42,090 | $34,830 |
| Hourly rate | $20.24 | $16.75 |
| Growth rate | - | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 76,288 | 55,540 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Production specialists are responsible for planning and managing the production activities of a company based on job orders. They provide support to the operations department and collaborate with supervisors to create production plans and identity workflow requirements. Other responsibilities may include managing existing workflow, organizing job training to the production team, and monitoring and reporting job status to customers. Production specialists are also expected to respond to customer concerns and inquiries, ensure the timely delivery of products, and ensure that products meet quality standards.
Manufacturing associates typically have varied duties and responsibilities. These include preparing materials and equipment for production, operating manufacturing equipment such as washers, and maintaining material inventory. In addition, they are responsible for inspecting purchased equipment, parts, and components, and participating in process investigations. They also review and execute documents related to manufacturing and determine any problems in the manufacturing process. To become a successful manufacturing associate, you should have skills in good manufacturing practice (GMP) compliance, aseptic processing, and biotechnology.
Production specialists and manufacturing associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Specialist | Manufacturing Associate | |
| Average salary | $42,090 | $34,830 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $73,000 | Between $26,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Billerica, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | Apple | Danaher |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a production specialist and a manufacturing associate in terms of educational background:
| Production Specialist | Manufacturing Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Biology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between production specialists' and manufacturing associates' demographics:
| Production Specialist | Manufacturing Associate | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.4% Female, 37.6% | Male, 60.2% Female, 39.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 6.3% White, 58.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 7.1% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |