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The differences between technicians and manufacturing technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a technician and a manufacturing technician. Additionally, a technician has an average salary of $38,045, which is higher than the $37,853 average annual salary of a manufacturing technician.
The top three skills for a technician include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for a manufacturing technician are GMP, continuous improvement, and hand tools.
| Technician | Manufacturing Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $38,045 | $37,853 |
| Hourly rate | $18.29 | $18.20 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 596,842 | 76,490 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Average age | 40 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.
A manufacturing technician, or often called a manufacturing production technician, is an individual who is responsible for setting and testing manufacturing machinery or equipment. To set up the machines, manufacturing technicians will use electronic, electrical, mechanical, or computer technologies. They are responsible for gathering data from their part in the manufacturing process and reporting it to their production or manufacturing engineers. When handling machines or equipment, manufacturing technicians must strictly follow their health and safety procedures and protocols.
Technicians and manufacturing technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technician | Manufacturing Technician | |
| Average salary | $38,045 | $37,853 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $58,000 | Between $27,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Framingham, MA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Qorvo |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Finance |
There are a few differences between a technician and a manufacturing technician in terms of educational background:
| Technician | Manufacturing Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | - | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between technicians' and manufacturing technicians' demographics:
| Technician | Manufacturing Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8% | Male, 74.4% Female, 25.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 8.9% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 6% |