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The differences between surfacing 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 surfacing technician and an instrument technician. Additionally, an instrument technician has an average salary of $56,918, which is higher than the $37,226 average annual salary of a surfacing technician.
The top three skills for a surfacing technician include circuit board assembly, SMT and safety regulations. The most important skills for an instrument technician are patients, surgical instruments, and cleanliness.
| Surfacing Technician | Instrument Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,226 | $56,918 |
| Hourly rate | $17.90 | $27.36 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 39,793 | 45,965 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 37% | Associate Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Surfacing technicians and instrument technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Surfacing Technician | Instrument Technician | |
| Average salary | $37,226 | $56,918 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $48,000 | Between $38,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | Phillips 66 |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a surfacing technician and an instrument technician in terms of educational background:
| Surfacing Technician | Instrument Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 37% | Associate Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between surfacing technicians' and instrument technicians' demographics:
| Surfacing Technician | Instrument Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.1% Female, 24.9% | 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% |