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Commissioning technician vs bench technician

The differences between commissioning 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 commissioning technician and a bench technician. Additionally, a commissioning technician has an average salary of $72,504, which is higher than the $41,317 average annual salary of a bench technician.

The top three skills for a commissioning technician include start-up, HVAC and cooling towers. The most important skills for a bench technician are troubleshoot, PC, and windows.

Commissioning technician vs bench technician overview

Commissioning TechnicianBench Technician
Yearly salary$72,504$41,317
Hourly rate$34.86$19.86
Growth rate--
Number of jobs49,41979,375
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 37%Associate Degree, 55%
Average age5050
Years of experience1212

What does a commissioning technician do?

A commissioning technician will work closely with commissioning engineers in supervising the final phase of a project following the installation and testing of systems. You will be responsible for inspecting and correcting the functioning of the facilities, equipment, and plants and perform repairs and maintenance as necessary. As a commissioning technician, it is also your responsibility to create and conduct test procedures, and perform routine equipment maintenance. You will also be responsible for investigating and diagnosing problems and find solutions to address them.

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.

Commissioning technician vs bench technician salary

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

Commissioning TechnicianBench Technician
Average salary$72,504$41,317
Salary rangeBetween $49,000 And $105,000Between $29,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between commissioning technician and bench technician education

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

Commissioning TechnicianBench Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 37%Associate Degree, 55%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeNortheastern UniversityNortheastern University

Commissioning technician vs bench technician demographics

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

Commissioning TechnicianBench Technician
Average age5050
Gender ratioMale, 95.1% Female, 4.9%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 commissioning technician and bench technician duties and responsibilities

Commissioning technician example responsibilities.

  • Train and develop employees to accomplish work assignments with focus on GMP compliance and best safety practices.
  • Lead a team of 10 engineers to develop an infrare telescope that are launched on the NASA high-altitude balloonproject BRRISON/BOPPS.
  • Work on valves, switches, and transmitters.
  • Loop check field devices to HMI with clients.
  • Stroke shutdown and control valves, check vibration to compressor HMI.
  • Adhere to all cGMP requirements as defined by plant principles and FDA guidelines.
  • 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

Commissioning technician vs bench technician skills

Common commissioning technician skills
  • Start-Up, 17%
  • HVAC, 14%
  • Cooling Towers, 7%
  • Control Systems, 7%
  • Leed, 6%
  • PLC, 5%
Common bench technician skills
  • Troubleshoot, 13%
  • PC, 8%
  • Windows, 6%
  • Circuit Boards, 6%
  • Test Equipment, 5%
  • Component Level Repair, 4%

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