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The differences between assembly & test technicians and engineering technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become an assembly & test technician, becoming an engineering technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an engineering technician has an average salary of $60,273, which is higher than the $38,774 average annual salary of an assembly & test technician.
The top three skills for an assembly & test technician include mechanical assembly, aerospace and dexterity. The most important skills for an engineering technician are technical support, data collection, and test equipment.
| Assembly & Test Technician | Engineering Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $38,774 | $60,273 |
| Hourly rate | $18.64 | $28.98 |
| Growth rate | - | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 64,354 | 111,343 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 50 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
An assembly & test technician works at manufacturing facilities where they are in charge of assembling product components and subjecting them to various tests, ensuring compliance with standards and regulations. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their organization of employment, it usually includes understanding diagrams and project requirements, establishing and implementing test parameters, operating tools and equipment, maintaining records, and producing detailed reports. There are also times when they must coordinate with quality control teams, working together in a joint effort to improve production processes and results.
An Engineering Technician's duties vary according to the industry or company, whether mechanical, industrial, civil, agricultural, or more. However, most of the time, the responsibilities often revolve around resolving technical issues, working with and assisting Engineers in building, assembling, designing, gathering and testing data, and conducting more manual activities. Furthermore, Engineering Technicians can specialize and work in various fields after a certain training period, closely mentored or monitored by an engineer or someone with extensive expertise.
Assembly & test technicians and engineering technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assembly & Test Technician | Engineering Technician | |
| Average salary | $38,774 | $60,273 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $49,000 | Between $37,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Beverly, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Washington |
| Best paying company | BWX Technologies | Western Digital |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Technology |
There are a few differences between an assembly & test technician and an engineering technician in terms of educational background:
| Assembly & Test Technician | Engineering Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Purdue University |
Here are the differences between assembly & test technicians' and engineering technicians' demographics:
| Assembly & Test Technician | Engineering Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6% | Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 9.2% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |