Production Technicians
Impact: Quality assurance, efficiency improvement, and production output
Operate and maintain machinery and equipment in manufacturing settings, ensuring quality production and efficiency. They apply engineering principles to solve problems related to industrial layout and production, often under the guidance of engineers.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Moderate
- Team vs solo
- 60% Team / 40% Solo
- Client facing
- Rarely
- Impact visibility
- High
- Travel
- Minimal
- Schedule flexibility
- Structured
- Remote work
- On-site Only
- Typical work hours
- 40 hours/week
- Stress level
- Moderate
At a glance
- Median salary
- $64,790
- Entry-level
- $46,370
- Senior
- $97,670+
- Growth by 2033
- 2% (slower than average)
- Demand
- Stable
- Freelance potential
- Low
- Salary growth potential
- Moderate to 50-70% growth from entry to senior
- Typical student debt
- $10,000 - $20,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Industrial Control Software
- CAD Software
- Quality Control Analysis
- Production Planning
- Equipment Maintenance
Soft skills
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Critical Thinking
Technical complexity: High
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Associate's Degree
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 3-5 years
- Years to senior
- 7-10 years
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Production Technician
- Senior Production Technician
- Manufacturing Supervisor
- Industrial Engineering Technician
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 40% to moderate risk due to repetitive tasks, but human oversight and problem-solving remain crucial.
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Stable
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 3.2/10
- Meaning
- 3/10
- Work-life balance
- 3.5/10
- Prestige
- 5.5/10
- Social perception
- Moderate