Post job

Calibration technician vs bench technician

The differences between calibration technicians and bench technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a calibration technician and a bench technician. Additionally, a calibration technician has an average salary of $46,908, which is higher than the $41,317 average annual salary of a bench technician.

The top three skills for a calibration technician include metrology, customer service and calibration procedures. The most important skills for a bench technician are troubleshoot, PC, and windows.

Calibration technician vs bench technician overview

Calibration TechnicianBench Technician
Yearly salary$46,908$41,317
Hourly rate$22.55$19.86
Growth rate--
Number of jobs48,74179,375
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 48%Associate Degree, 55%
Average age5050
Years of experience1212

What does a calibration technician do?

The calibration technician's primary role in manufacturing industries is to make sure that measurements taken with the use of equipment are accurate. They are responsible for the regular monitoring and maintenance of equipment and instruments to ensure that their readings and output match the desired results. Their duties include testing, maintenance, routine inspection, as well as the repair of instruments and manufacturing equipment. Important skills required for the job include keen attention to detail, analytical skills, and coordination for conducting tests with various equipment.

What does a bench technician do?

A Bench Technician specializes in installing, maintaining, and repairing electronic equipment and machinery. Although the extent of their responsibilities primarily depends on their place or employment industry, it typically includes conducting inspections and assessments, programming and troubleshooting systems, replacing and fixing components, and producing progress reports as needed. Moreover, a Bench Technician must maintain an active communication line with co-workers while adhering to its safety standards and regulations for a safe and efficient work environment.

Calibration technician vs bench technician salary

Calibration technicians and bench technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Calibration TechnicianBench Technician
Average salary$46,908$41,317
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $62,000Between $29,000 And $57,000
Highest paying CitySanta Rosa, CA-
Highest paying stateHawaii-
Best paying companyBoehringer Ingelheim-
Best paying industryPharmaceutical-

Differences between calibration technician and bench technician education

There are a few differences between a calibration technician and a bench technician in terms of educational background:

Calibration TechnicianBench Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 48%Associate Degree, 55%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeNortheastern UniversityNortheastern University

Calibration technician vs bench technician demographics

Here are the differences between calibration technicians' and bench technicians' demographics:

Calibration TechnicianBench Technician
Average age5050
Gender ratioMale, 87.7% Female, 12.3%Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage8%8%

Differences between calibration technician and bench technician duties and responsibilities

Calibration technician example responsibilities.

  • Comply with good laboratory practices FDA, QSR, ISO, safety and environmental regulations.
  • Calibrate and repair general-purpose and RF test, measurement, & diagnostic equipment (TMDE) and microwave passive standards.
  • Calibrate basic mechanical and electrical measurement instruments, such as calipers, micrometers and voltage-current-resistance meters.
  • Perform calibration and maintenance of measuring equipment including micrometers, calipers and drop indicators among others.
  • Maintain standards in accordance with cGMP, USP, JP and ISO.
  • Install MCC's, VFD's, motors, and Allen Bradley PLC's.
  • Show more

Bench technician example responsibilities.

  • Lead small teams in the development and installation of residential and commercial electrical and HVAC systems to include smart home systems.
  • Trouble-shoot and repair all boards to component level using oscilloscopes DMM's and spectrum analyzers.
  • Place fine pitch IC's and other parts as needed.
  • Repair pads and trace connectors on modems.
  • Repair and replace components within all iPhone models.
  • Experience reworking fine pitch devices and BGA components.
  • Show more

Calibration technician vs bench technician skills

Common calibration technician skills
  • Metrology, 10%
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Calibration Procedures, 6%
  • Troubleshoot, 6%
  • Hand Tools, 4%
  • Equipment Calibration, 4%
Common bench technician skills
  • Troubleshoot, 13%
  • PC, 8%
  • Windows, 6%
  • Circuit Boards, 6%
  • Test Equipment, 5%
  • Component Level Repair, 4%

Browse architecture and engineering jobs