Life As a Manufacturing Production Technician
Job Description & Duties Set up, test, and adjust manufacturing machinery or equipment, using any combination of electrical, electronic, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, or computer technologies.
Manufacturing Production Technician Responsibilities
- Test products or subassemblies for functionality or quality.
- Monitor and adjust production processes or equipment for quality and productivity.
- Set up and verify the functionality of safety equipment.
- Plan and lay out work to meet production and schedule requirements.
- Troubleshoot problems with equipment, devices, or products.
- Prepare production documents, such as standard operating procedures, manufacturing batch records, inventory reports, or productivity reports.
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Qualities of a Manufacturing Production Technician
These are the skills Manufacturing Production Technicians say are the most useful in their careers:
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Metallurgical Lab Technician
- Tool Room Supervisor
- Line Technician
- Manufacturing Associate
- Field Service Engineer
What Kind of Manufacturing Production Technician Job Opportunities Are There?
There were about 76,800 jobs for Manufacturing Production Technician in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 5.2% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 4,000 new jobs for Manufacturing Production Technician by 2026. The BLS estimates 7,100 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Manufacturing Production Technician are Utah, Nevada, and Connecticut. Watch out if you plan on working in Vermont, West Virginia, or South Dakota. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Manufacturing Production Technician
The average yearly salary of a Manufacturing Production Technician ranges between $36,120 and $98,720.

Manufacturing Production Technicians who work in District of Columbia, Maryland, or Maine, make the highest salaries.
How much do Manufacturing Production Technicians make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $59,380 |
Alaska | $71,850 |
Arizona | $59,210 |
Arkansas | $60,310 |
California | $71,420 |
Colorado | $63,590 |
Connecticut | $64,510 |
Delaware | $51,380 |
District of Columbia | $92,600 |
Florida | $58,860 |
Georgia | $59,830 |
Hawaii | $76,070 |
Idaho | $55,540 |
Illinois | $63,760 |
Indiana | $58,450 |
Iowa | $57,620 |
Kansas | $65,870 |
Kentucky | $58,880 |
Louisiana | $59,930 |
Maine | $79,670 |
Maryland | $84,790 |
Massachusetts | $64,220 |
Michigan | $64,270 |
Minnesota | $57,440 |
Mississippi | $60,500 |
Missouri | $59,830 |
Montana | $59,810 |
Nebraska | $57,630 |
Nevada | $71,330 |
New Hampshire | $57,730 |
New Jersey | $75,380 |
New Mexico | $78,160 |
New York | $63,780 |
North Carolina | $63,600 |
North Dakota | $75,030 |
Ohio | $61,060 |
Oklahoma | $63,790 |
Oregon | $56,890 |
Pennsylvania | $57,210 |
Rhode Island | $73,240 |
South Carolina | $70,820 |
South Dakota | $51,110 |
Tennessee | $57,800 |
Texas | $66,630 |
Utah | $56,480 |
Vermont | $58,960 |
Virginia | $77,280 |
Washington | $74,810 |
West Virginia | $70,550 |
Wisconsin | $58,780 |
Wyoming | $67,110 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Manufacturing Production Technicians
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Manufacturing Production Technicians may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Data entry software
- SAP
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Extensible markup language XML
- Minitab
- National Instruments LabVIEW
- Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
- Enterprise JavaBeans
- Cadence PSpice
- National Instruments Multisim
- Computer numerical control CNC software
- Labeling software
How do I Become a Manufacturing Production Technician?
Education needed to be a Manufacturing Production Technician:

What work experience do I need to become a Manufacturing Production Technician?

Manufacturing Production Technicians Sector

The table below shows the approximate number of Manufacturing Production Technicians employed by various industries.

Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those thinking about becoming a Manufacturing Production Technician might also be interested in the following careers:
Career changers with experience as a Manufacturing Production Technician sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: PA1 David J. Schuhlein via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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