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The differences between production technicians and process technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a production technician, becoming a process technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a process technician has an average salary of $39,462, 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 process technician are basic math, patients, and OSHA.
| Production Technician | Process Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,550 | $39,462 |
| Hourly rate | $18.05 | $18.97 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 135,266 | 74,367 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
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 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.
Production technicians and process technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Technician | Process Technician | |
| Average salary | $37,550 | $39,462 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $49,000 | Between $30,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Frederick, MD | Santa Clara, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Cornerstone Research | HP |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a production technician and a process technician in terms of educational background:
| Production Technician | Process Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Purdue University |
Here are the differences between production technicians' and process technicians' demographics:
| Production Technician | Process Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.4% Female, 28.6% | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% |
| 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, 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 | 6% | 6% |