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The differences between valve technicians and service technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a valve technician, becoming a service technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a valve technician has an average salary of $41,020, which is higher than the $40,379 average annual salary of a service technician.
The top three skills for a valve technician include control valves, hand tools and actuators. The most important skills for a service technician are plumbing, customer service, and preventative maintenance.
Valve technicians install regulating devices such as valves. They are responsible for monitoring, testing, and troubleshooting valves. Valves are essential controlling devices for plumbing in residential houses. In commercial and industrial buildings, valves may be required for regulating chemicals.
Service technicians are assigned in the field to address the concerns of their clients. Service technicians are responsible for the installation, maintenance, or repair of different units or items related to their company's products or services. They should be familiar with their company's products so that they can properly install, maintain, or repair them. They conduct diagnostics and analysis to assess the condition of the unit they are servicing and properly address problems. They also do routine maintenance check-ups. Service technicians are expected to be trustworthy, have good analytical skills, and have good decision-making skills.
Valve technicians and service technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Valve Technician | Service Technician | |
| Average salary | $41,020 | $40,379 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $59,000 | Between $28,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | IBM |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a valve technician and a service technician in terms of educational background:
| Valve Technician | Service Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | Associate Degree, 29% |
| Most common major | General Studies | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between valve technicians' and service technicians' demographics:
| Valve Technician | Service Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.5% Female, 8.5% | Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 2.0% Hispanic or Latino, 22.7% Asian, 2.4% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% | Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 1.7% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 1% |