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The differences between production test technicians and instrument technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a production test technician and an instrument technician. Additionally, an instrument technician has an average salary of $56,918, which is higher than the $41,059 average annual salary of a production test technician.
The top three skills for a production test technician include production test, hand tools and RF. The most important skills for an instrument technician are patients, surgical instruments, and cleanliness.
| Production Test Technician | Instrument Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $41,059 | $56,918 |
| Hourly rate | $19.74 | $27.36 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 91,524 | 45,965 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 57% | Associate Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Production Test Technicians are responsible for the testing and assembly of manufactured goods before releasing them internally or to the general public. They are involved in running tests in equipment and assemblies, performing instrument calibrations, examining finish products conform with specifications, using statistical methods to identify problems, and providing reports on defects. They work with investors, product developers, and other stakeholders in fixing defects and improving the quality of a product. In testing, they will perform inspections for achieving multipoint safety and efficiency.
An instrument technician is an individual who is responsible for testing, repairing, and inspecting all manufacturing equipment to ensure proper operations of the machines. Instrument technicians collaborate with engineers to develop and produce equipment design and provide advice to process technicians about equipment operation. They remove defective equipment so that they can decontaminate and replace the damaged ones with new machines. They are also required by their employer to obtain certification in the field of instrumentation technology.
Production test technicians and instrument technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Test Technician | Instrument Technician | |
| Average salary | $41,059 | $56,918 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $53,000 | Between $38,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | Beverly, MA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Sanmina | Phillips 66 |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a production test technician and an instrument technician in terms of educational background:
| Production Test Technician | Instrument Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 57% | Associate Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between production test technicians' and instrument technicians' demographics:
| Production Test Technician | Instrument Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.5% Female, 8.5% | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |