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The differences between production technicians and machines technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a production technician and a machines technician. Additionally, a machines technician has an average salary of $39,754, which is higher than the $37,550 average annual salary of a production technician.
The top three skills for a production technician include hand tools, preventative maintenance and quality checks. The most important skills for a machines technician are CNC, hand tools, and calipers.
| Production Technician | Machines Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,550 | $39,754 |
| Hourly rate | $18.05 | $19.11 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 135,266 | 106,175 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| Average age | 45 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
A machine technician can often be seen in a manufacturing company, factories, processing centers, and machine shops. They typically work as the apprentice of machine engineers that are responsible for ensuring that all machinery and machine tools are working properly. A technician operates, installs, maintains, inspects, and repairs equipment depending on what industry they are working in, whether it may be an industrial or automotive setup. They must be keen on detail and keep the machines or equipment to the highest quality standard at all times.
Production technicians and machines technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Technician | Machines Technician | |
| Average salary | $37,550 | $39,754 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $49,000 | Between $30,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Frederick, MD | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Cornerstone Research | ABB |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a production technician and a machines technician in terms of educational background:
| Production Technician | Machines Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | - |
Here are the differences between production technicians' and machines technicians' demographics:
| Production Technician | Machines Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.4% Female, 28.6% | Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 3.4% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 2% |