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The differences between quality laboratory technicians and manufacturing engineering technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a quality laboratory technician and a manufacturing engineering technician. Additionally, a manufacturing engineering technician has an average salary of $53,219, which is higher than the $38,902 average annual salary of a quality laboratory technician.
The top three skills for a quality laboratory technician include lab equipment, quality lab and test results. The most important skills for a manufacturing engineering technician are continuous improvement, troubleshoot, and production equipment.
| Quality Laboratory Technician | Manufacturing Engineering Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $38,902 | $53,219 |
| Hourly rate | $18.70 | $25.59 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 104,887 | 99,347 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Quality Laboratory Technician ensures that lab procedures and equipment meet a certain standard, as well as monitors production. They maintain quality service and a safe and healthy work environment through following organization standards.
A manufacturing engineering technician is responsible for supporting the manufacturing processes of industrial operations by providing technical assistance on the design development procedures. Manufacturing engineering technicians inspect the efficiency and consistency of plans and perform multiple diagnostic tests to ensure that the product performs to its highest condition. They also recommend cost-reduction techniques while providing high-quality outputs and deliverables. A manufacturing engineering technician must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially on troubleshooting equipment and writing progress reports for reference.
Quality laboratory technicians and manufacturing engineering technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Laboratory Technician | Manufacturing Engineering Technician | |
| Average salary | $38,902 | $53,219 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $48,000 | Between $37,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Hillsboro, OR | Sunnyvale, CA |
| Highest paying state | Idaho | Idaho |
| Best paying company | OMNOVA Solutions | Lam Research |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a quality laboratory technician and a manufacturing engineering technician in terms of educational background:
| Quality Laboratory Technician | Manufacturing Engineering Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Biology | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Purdue University |
Here are the differences between quality laboratory technicians' and manufacturing engineering technicians' demographics:
| Quality Laboratory Technician | Manufacturing Engineering Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.1% Female, 45.9% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 7.5% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 8.3% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |