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The differences between automation engineering technicians and engineering technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an automation engineering technician and an engineering technician. Additionally, an automation engineering technician has an average salary of $89,591, which is higher than the $60,273 average annual salary of an engineering technician.
The top three skills for an automation engineering technician include PLC, HMI and automation engineering. The most important skills for an engineering technician are technical support, data collection, and test equipment.
| Automation Engineering Technician | Engineering Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $89,591 | $60,273 |
| Hourly rate | $43.07 | $28.98 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 81,592 | 111,343 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An automation engineer technician specializes in developing and maintaining automated systems in various industries. They are responsible for responding to reports involving complex issues, inspecting systems, troubleshooting problems, replacing or fixing parts, and maintaining extensive records. They may also perform regular maintenance checks, develop and implement test structures, perform upgrades and modifications, establish guidelines, and communicate directly with clients in an effort to solve issues and concerns. Moreover, they provide technical support to staff, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
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.
Automation engineering technicians and engineering technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automation Engineering Technician | Engineering Technician | |
| Average salary | $89,591 | $60,273 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $121,000 | Between $37,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | Western Digital |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between an automation engineering technician and an engineering technician in terms of educational background:
| Automation Engineering Technician | Engineering Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Purdue University | Purdue University |
Here are the differences between automation engineering technicians' and engineering technicians' demographics:
| Automation Engineering Technician | Engineering Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3% | Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 7.6% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 6% | 6% |