Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between commissioning technicians and 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 commissioning technician and a test technician. Additionally, a commissioning technician has an average salary of $72,504, which is higher than the $43,171 average annual salary of a test technician.
The top three skills for a commissioning technician include start-up, HVAC and cooling towers. The most important skills for a test technician are test procedures, test results, and hand tools.
| Commissioning Technician | Test Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $72,504 | $43,171 |
| Hourly rate | $34.86 | $20.76 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 49,419 | 71,414 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 37% | Associate Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
A test technician is responsible for running multiple diagnostic tests on various tools and equipment to boost optimization and ensure its efficient performance on operations. Test technicians inspect system components and manage calibration, following clients' specifications or the business' needs. A test technician also analyzes the system's design processes and features to understand its complexities and identify necessary upgrades. Test technicians keep a record of system issues and resolutions for reference. A test technician must have excellent knowledge of the technical and mechanical industry to perform tasks and achieve the highest customer satisfaction.
Commissioning technicians and test technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Commissioning Technician | Test Technician | |
| Average salary | $72,504 | $43,171 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $105,000 | Between $30,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | Nokia |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a commissioning technician and a test technician in terms of educational background:
| Commissioning Technician | Test Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 37% | Associate Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between commissioning technicians' and test technicians' demographics:
| Commissioning Technician | Test Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.1% Female, 4.9% | Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4% |
| 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% |