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The differences between tool designers and tool specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a tool designer and a tool specialist. Additionally, a tool specialist has an average salary of $84,797, which is higher than the $64,763 average annual salary of a tool designer.
The top three skills for a tool designer include jigs, assembly fixtures and aerospace. The most important skills for a tool specialist are calipers, safety procedures, and hand tools.
A tool designer is an expert who works to engineer a new equipment's initial design used in industrial manufacturing. Tool designers design machine cutting tools like drills, broaches, and milling-machine cutters. They apply geometric and algebraic formulas along with standard tool engineering data for tool configuration development. Also, they modify tool designs based on production service data or trial for tool life performance and life improvement.
A Tool Specialist designs and carries out maintenance on tools that are used on certain manufacturing equipment and machines. Your key role is to track data on fixtures on tooling and create an estimated cost for repairs, help in assembling new tools as well as carrying out other duties in a manufacturing environment. Besides, you will be responsible for giving your input in the pricing of tools, conducting product reviews, and monitoring the maintenance of tools. You will also troubleshoot parts of your samples or newer parts when they malfunction.
Tool designers and tool specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tool Designer | Tool Specialist | |
| Average salary | $64,763 | $84,797 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $87,000 | Between $62,000 And $115,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Entegris | GoPro |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a tool designer and a tool specialist in terms of educational background:
| Tool Designer | Tool Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between tool designers' and tool specialists' demographics:
| Tool Designer | Tool Specialist | |
| Average age | 54 | 54 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.9% Female, 7.1% | Male, 89.6% Female, 10.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.5% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 6.6% Asian, 2.7% White, 84.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 2.4% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 6.4% Asian, 2.7% White, 84.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 3% |