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The differences between digital technicians and engineering technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a digital technician, becoming an engineering technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a digital technician has an average salary of $73,262, which is higher than the $60,273 average annual salary of an engineering technician.
The top three skills for a digital technician include photography, adobe creative suite and technical support. The most important skills for an engineering technician are technical support, data collection, and test equipment.
| Digital Technician | Engineering Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $73,262 | $60,273 |
| Hourly rate | $35.22 | $28.98 |
| Growth rate | - | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 54,243 | 111,343 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 50 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
Digital Technicians are responsible for producing design presentations and digital models through sketches, electronic visualizations, and software. Their duties include producing engineering sketches and drawings, developing building information models (BIM), conducting virtual design assessments, preparing engineering calculations and measurements, and attending design meetings. They are responsible for visiting sites, making design presentations, and participating in training workshops. Digital technicians assist in performing administrative duties for a project.
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.
Digital technicians and engineering technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Digital Technician | Engineering Technician | |
| Average salary | $73,262 | $60,273 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $134,000 | Between $37,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Houston, TX | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Morgan Stanley | Western Digital |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a digital technician and an engineering technician in terms of educational background:
| Digital Technician | Engineering Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Photography | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Purdue University |
Here are the differences between digital technicians' and engineering technicians' demographics:
| Digital Technician | Engineering Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.9% Female, 24.1% | Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1% |
| 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, 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 | 8% | 6% |