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The differences between assembly & test technicians and engineering technician leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an assembly & test technician and an engineering technician lead. Additionally, an engineering technician lead has an average salary of $107,373, 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 lead are java, python, and C++.
| Assembly & Test Technician | Engineering Technician Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $38,774 | $107,373 |
| Hourly rate | $18.64 | $51.62 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 64,354 | 102,504 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
Engineering technician leads are technical professionals who lead a team to design and build prototypes of a planned product or equipment. These technician leads are required to provide advice and technical support to the engineering team to resolve technical issues as well as oversee system maintenance and enhancement. They must work with both product development and manufacturing engineers to improve the existing manufacturing processes. Engineering technician leads must also participate in activities related to maintenance and troubleshooting of equipment.
Assembly & test technicians and engineering technician leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assembly & Test Technician | Engineering Technician Lead | |
| Average salary | $38,774 | $107,373 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $49,000 | Between $80,000 And $142,000 |
| Highest paying City | Beverly, MA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | BWX Technologies | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Technology |
There are a few differences between an assembly & test technician and an engineering technician lead in terms of educational background:
| Assembly & Test Technician | Engineering Technician Lead | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between assembly & test technicians' and engineering technician leads' demographics:
| Assembly & Test Technician | Engineering Technician Lead | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| 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, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |