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Assembler/tester vs assembly technician

The differences between assembler/testers and assembly technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an assembly technician has an average salary of $34,952, which is higher than the $34,284 average annual salary of an assembler/tester.

The top three skills for an assembler/tester include safety rules, hand tools and test equipment. The most important skills for an assembly technician are customer service, hand tools, and lean manufacturing.

Assembler/tester vs assembly technician overview

Assembler/TesterAssembly Technician
Yearly salary$34,284$34,952
Hourly rate$16.48$16.80
Growth rate-2%
Number of jobs27,50652,385
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 37%High School Diploma, 34%
Average age4949
Years of experience--

What does an assembler/tester do?

Assemblers or testers assemble or test complex products to attain prompt delivery schedules and customer quality. They work on products containing electronic, dual, and mechanical hydraulic systems. Their job is to operate and maintain power and hand tools, test equipment, and manufacturing machines. It is their responsibility to produce high-quality products that exceed or meet the approval agency, customer, and engineering requirements. They also interpret engineering orders, test specifications, assembly routes, and blueprints.

What does an assembly technician do?

Assembly technicians are responsible for constructing small parts and components to create a new product according to the specifications of a client or a supervisor. An assembly technician performs diagnostic tests on the assembled product to ensure efficiency and conduct adjustments as needed. An assembly technician also provides manual instructional guides for product use and troubleshooting procedures. Assembly technicians must be knowledgeable about the technology and mechanical industry, as well as have the ability to analyze designs as a guide for creating high-quality products.

Assembler/tester vs assembly technician salary

Assembler/testers and assembly technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Assembler/TesterAssembly Technician
Average salary$34,284$34,952
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $43,000Between $28,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City-Sunnyvale, CA
Highest paying state-Washington
Best paying company-Jefferson Lab
Best paying industry-Finance

Differences between assembler/tester and assembly technician education

There are a few differences between an assembler/tester and an assembly technician in terms of educational background:

Assembler/TesterAssembly Technician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 37%High School Diploma, 34%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringBusiness
Most common college--

Assembler/tester vs assembly technician demographics

Here are the differences between assembler/testers' and assembly technicians' demographics:

Assembler/TesterAssembly Technician
Average age4949
Gender ratioMale, 67.1% Female, 32.9%Male, 75.7% Female, 24.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 11.6% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 9.8% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between assembler/tester and assembly technician duties and responsibilities

Assembler/tester example responsibilities.

  • Perform programming set ups to operate on CNC machines.
  • Help with set ups along with operating and maintaining CNC machines.
  • Operate, inspect, and troubleshoot production line machinery and/or assemblies.
  • Support engineering projects by completing rework and modifications on prototype modules and ECO's update.
  • Read and interpret blueprints and check critical dimensions by using measuring instruments including micrometers, calipers and indicators.
  • Perform small mechanical sub assemblies, gluing & cleaning optics for various laser products.
  • Show more

Assembly technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage the flow of each pallet to ensure the group is able to produce the quality product.
  • Perform in microscope SMT hand soldering to IPC standards and rework BTC components.
  • Use proper electrical discharge PPE (personal protection equipment) in ESD zone properly to prevent unexpect incident or damage device.
  • Perform electro-mechanical tasks using a wide range of electronic equipment.
  • Install switches, gfi's.
  • Rework (complex wiring) to CCA's according to ECO's.
  • Show more

Assembler/tester vs assembly technician skills

Common assembler/tester skills
  • Safety Rules, 9%
  • Hand Tools, 8%
  • Test Equipment, 7%
  • Test Results, 6%
  • Test Data, 6%
  • Quality Standards, 6%
Common assembly technician skills
  • Customer Service, 26%
  • Hand Tools, 12%
  • Lean Manufacturing, 4%
  • Safety Procedures, 4%
  • Basic Math, 3%
  • Sub Assemblies, 3%

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