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Calibration technician vs electronic test technician

The differences between calibration technicians and electronic test 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 an electronic test technician. Additionally, a calibration technician has an average salary of $46,908, which is higher than the $43,020 average annual salary of an electronic test technician.

The top three skills for a calibration technician include metrology, customer service and calibration procedures. The most important skills for an electronic test technician are RF, oscilloscopes, and test procedures.

Calibration technician vs electronic test technician overview

Calibration TechnicianElectronic Test Technician
Yearly salary$46,908$43,020
Hourly rate$22.55$20.68
Growth rate--
Number of jobs48,74149,129
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 48%Associate Degree, 60%
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 an electronic test technician do?

An Electronics Test Technician is responsible for testing and troubleshooting electronic equipment, components, and parts. As an Electronics Test Technician, you will investigate issues related to process control, SCADA systems, and instrumentation and suggest effective solutions. You will be responsible for analyzing and repairing broken printed circuit boards (PCB) and creating documentation for the testing of PCB assemblies. Other duties include compiling product reports and presenting these to the company heads, ensuring to maintain testing equipment, and performing multipoint safety inspections of products.

Calibration technician vs electronic test technician salary

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

Calibration TechnicianElectronic Test Technician
Average salary$46,908$43,020
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $62,000Between $32,000 And $57,000
Highest paying CitySanta Rosa, CABethesda, MD
Highest paying stateHawaiiHawaii
Best paying companyBoehringer IngelheimSandia National Labs
Best paying industryPharmaceuticalEnergy

Differences between calibration technician and electronic test technician education

There are a few differences between a calibration technician and an electronic test technician in terms of educational background:

Calibration TechnicianElectronic Test Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 48%Associate Degree, 60%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeNortheastern UniversityNortheastern University

Calibration technician vs electronic test technician demographics

Here are the differences between calibration technicians' and electronic test technicians' demographics:

Calibration TechnicianElectronic Test Technician
Average age5050
Gender ratioMale, 87.7% Female, 12.3%Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0%
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 electronic test 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

Electronic test technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage work load for new equipment builds for PC refresh for end of lease equipment and new user setups.
  • Key interface for, DOD, NASA, FDA, IPC, and ISO inspections.
  • Perform software and hardware debugging.
  • Follow ESD procedures and written safety rules.
  • Test and troubleshoot complex wire harnesses and panel assemblies.
  • Test products to adhere to ISO 9000 and FDA regulations.
  • Show more

Calibration technician vs electronic test technician skills

Common calibration technician skills
  • Metrology, 10%
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Calibration Procedures, 6%
  • Troubleshoot, 6%
  • Hand Tools, 4%
  • Equipment Calibration, 4%
Common electronic test technician skills
  • RF, 9%
  • Oscilloscopes, 8%
  • Test Procedures, 7%
  • Test Data, 6%
  • Hand Tools, 6%
  • Test Results, 4%

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