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The differences between tool specialists and specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a tool specialist, becoming a specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a tool specialist has an average salary of $84,797, which is higher than the $58,013 average annual salary of a specialist.
The top three skills for a tool specialist include calipers, safety procedures and hand tools. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.
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.
Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.
Tool specialists and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tool Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average salary | $84,797 | $58,013 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $115,000 | Between $32,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | GoPro | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | - |
There are a few differences between a tool specialist and a specialist in terms of educational background:
| Tool Specialist | Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between tool specialists' and specialists' demographics:
| Tool Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average age | 54 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.6% Female, 10.4% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 11% |