Small parts assembler vs mechanical assembler

The differences between small parts assemblers and mechanical assemblers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a mechanical assembler has an average salary of $33,553, which is higher than the $30,660 average annual salary of a small parts assembler.

The top three skills for a small parts assembler include hand tools, assembly tasks and dexterity. The most important skills for a mechanical assembler are hand tools, sub assemblies, and dexterity.

Small parts assembler vs mechanical assembler overview

	Small Parts Assembler	Mechanical Assembler
Yearly salary	$30,660	$33,553
Hourly rate	$14.74	$16.13
Growth rate	-	2%
Number of jobs	40,912	35,720
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	-	-

Small parts assembler vs mechanical assembler salary

Small parts assemblers and mechanical assemblers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Small Parts Assembler	Mechanical Assembler
Average salary	$30,660	$33,553
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $38,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	New Bedford, MA	Newark, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Astronics	Danaher
Best paying industry	Energy	Finance

Differences between small parts assembler and mechanical assembler education

There are a few differences between a small parts assembler and a mechanical assembler in terms of educational background:

	Small Parts Assembler	Mechanical Assembler
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 37%
Most common major	Business	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	-	-

Small parts assembler vs mechanical assembler demographics

Here are the differences between small parts assemblers' and mechanical assemblers' demographics:

	Small Parts Assembler	Mechanical Assembler
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 55.6% Female, 44.4%	Male, 80.8% Female, 19.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 2.5% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 9.5% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 20.7% Asian, 12.2% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between small parts assembler and mechanical assembler duties and responsibilities

Small parts assembler example responsibilities.

Excel in interpreting detail aligning units using jigs and fixtures, and inspecting complete components to ensure conformance to specifications.
Excel in interpreting detail aligning units using jigs and fixtures, and inspecting complete components to ensure conformance to specifications.

Mechanical assembler example responsibilities.

Hand place and assemble components such as transformers, resistors, transistors, capacitors, and integrate circuits.
Assemble cable and harness units in a line environment utilizing manual dexterity.
Solder electronic componentry to PCB board such as resisters, capacitors, diodes, connectors, etc.
Assemble pc boards with resistors diodes transformers potentiometers and other components require for the wave solder machine to mass produce.
Demonstrate manual dexterity as it relates to detail assembly processes.
Utilize hoists and rigging to facilitate assembly.

Small parts assembler vs mechanical assembler skills

Common small parts assembler skills

Hand Tools, 41%
Assembly Tasks, 19%
Dexterity, 18%
Circuit Boards, 4%
Quality Checks, 4%
Assembly Problems, 4%

Common mechanical assembler skills

Hand Tools, 10%
Sub Assemblies, 8%
Dexterity, 6%
Assembly Operations, 5%
Calipers, 5%
Math, 4%

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Small Parts Assembler
Small Parts Assembler vs Mechanical Assembler

Updated January 8, 2025

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