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 technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real production technician resumes:
- 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.
- Used pneumatic tools along with ladders and scaffolding at different heights.
- Involve in plant LOTO for turnarounds or regular maintenance on equipment.
- Use of RF scan gun to scan and inventory locations and product.
- Work on the car CPM line at Nissan putting together dashboards on Altimas and Maxima.
- Involve electrical wiring, drilling, tapping, PLC hookups, system testing, mechanical adjustments.
- Operate control boards (DCS), panel boards (PLC), and semi-automatic equipment.
- Used a variety of safety devices (respiratory and full body PPE, fall guards, etc . )
- Review and monitor production records, QC records, stability protocols, and other documentation to assure compliance.
- Wear proper PPE (personal protection equipment), gloves, ear plugs, steel toe boots, and safety glasses.
Production technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 7% of Production Technicians are proficient in Hand Tools, Preventative Maintenance, and Quality Checks. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Production Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Hand Tools, 7%
Dismantled devices to gain access to and remove defective parts, using forklifts, cranes, hand tools and power tools.
- Preventative Maintenance, 6%
Created/maintained preventative maintenance/calibration schedules/programs on all equipment.
- Quality Checks, 5%
Ensured consistency of products by performing routine quality checks, with considerations for environmental factors as well as corporate guidelines.
- Production Equipment, 5%
Utilized high precision electronic measuring/glass production equipment
- Basic Math, 5%
Utilized basic mathematical skills to figure heights and measurements.
- Safety Procedures, 5%
Maintain a safe work environment and exceptional housekeeping by following established safety procedures including wearing required Personal Protective Equipment.
Most production technicians use their skills in "hand tools," "preventative maintenance," and "quality checks" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential production technician responsibilities here:
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a production technician to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "industrial engineering technologists and technicians assess changes in conditions, operations, and the environment to help industrial engineers figure out how systems should work." Additionally, a production technician resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "perform routine analysis on hazardous waste samples in accordance with company and fda regulations. "
Communication skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling production technician duties is communication skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "industrial engineering technologists and technicians must listen carefully to instructions from engineers and must clearly articulate problems to their supervisors." According to a production technician resume, here's how production technicians can utilize communication skills in their job responsibilities: "have excellent oral and written communication and math skills. "
Detail oriented. This is an important skill for production technicians to perform their duties. For an example of how production technician responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "industrial engineering technologists and technicians must record precisely what they measure and observe." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a production technician: "perpetuate a results-oriented environment while complying with all fda guidelines. ".
Math skills. production technician responsibilities often require "math skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "industrial engineering technologists and technicians use mathematics and statistical techniques to analyze data collected from studies." This resume example shows what production technicians do with math skills on a typical day: "have 4.5 to 5 years experience in use of calipers, micrometer, and different forms of math. "
The three companies that hire the most production technicians are:
- Corteva43 production technicians jobs
- Hearth & Home Technologies40 production technicians jobs
- Baxter International39 production technicians jobs
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Production technician vs. Quality assurance technician
Quality assurance is an essential part of a company that offers products and services. It is critical that the company's output remains consistent and up to par with community standards. It is the assistant quality assurance manager's role to inspect, monitor, and evaluate the quality of every product. The goal is to establish customer satisfaction and trust. The assistant quality assurance manager works with the head manager and helps generate reports of daily activities for executive evaluations.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a production technician are more likely to require skills like "hand tools," "preventative maintenance," "production equipment," and "safety procedures." On the other hand, a job as a quality assurance technician requires skills like "food safety," "lab equipment," "quality products," and "haccp." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Quality assurance technicians earn the highest salaries when working in the technology industry, with an average yearly salary of $46,500. On the other hand, production technicians are paid more in the health care industry with an average salary of $40,614.On average, quality assurance technicians reach similar levels of education than production technicians. Quality assurance technicians are 1.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Production technician vs. Assembly technician
Assembly technicians are responsible for constructing small parts and components to create a new product according to the specifications of a client or a supervisor. An assembly technician performs diagnostic tests on the assembled product to ensure efficiency and conduct adjustments as needed. An assembly technician also provides manual instructional guides for product use and troubleshooting procedures. Assembly technicians must be knowledgeable about the technology and mechanical industry, as well as have the ability to analyze designs as a guide for creating high-quality products.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, production technician responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "preventative maintenance," "ladders," "gmp," and "harvest." Meanwhile, an assembly technician has duties that require skills in areas such as "sub assemblies," "mechanical assembly," "engineering drawings," and "assembly process." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, assembly technicians earn a lower salary than production technicians. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, assembly technicians earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $37,725. Whereas production technicians have higher pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $40,614.assembly technicians earn similar levels of education than production technicians in general. They're 1.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Production technician vs. Production assembler
An assembler is responsible for the arrangement of multiple parts to create an entirely new component, following the client's specifications or blueprint instructions. Assemblers must be able to interpret schematics well, as well as being able to operate mechanical equipment and hand tools to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the job. They should also monitor inventories and check the adequacy of supplies, verify the correct quantity of components, and inform the management of any needed assistance. An assembler must have a broad knowledge of the mechanical industry to perform tasks under certain conditions.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, production technicians are more likely to have skills like "preventative maintenance," "basic math," "math," and "ladders." But a production assembler is more likely to have skills like "part numbers," "safety policies," "production assembly," and "assembly process."
Production assemblers earn the highest salary when working in the automotive industry, where they receive an average salary of $35,037. Comparatively, production technicians have the highest earning potential in the health care industry, with an average salary of $40,614.Most production assemblers achieve a similar degree level compared to production technicians. For example, they're 1.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Production technician vs. Production worker
Production workers are employees who are usually seen in an assembly line in a company's factory. They are responsible for a specific part of the production of goods for the company. They ensure that production processes are being followed. Production workers are required to be efficient, detail-oriented, and organized. They should be able to uphold the quality standards set by the company and should be able to conduct quality control checks. Should they be working alongside machines, and they must know how to operate the machine as well as maintain it. Production workers should also be familiar with occupational safety and health guidelines and must be able to follow policies and procedures in place.
Types of production technician
Updated January 8, 2025











