What does an electrical assembly technician do?
Electrical assembly technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real electrical assembly technician resumes:
- Create specifications for PLC programs.
- Follow wire diagrams to ISO and UL standards.
- Upload PLC programs into CNC industrial router hard drive.
- Solder PCB assemblies using thru hole or SMT soldering.
- Assist in setting up and run the chassis, harness, conformal coating, and prototype departments.
- Perform accurate and precision measurements of cables physically and electrically using calipers and oscilloscopes.
- Assemble various size and color of wire and cable with various RF connectors using assembly instructions, blueprints and customers requirements.
- Assemble mirrors for school buses, ambulances, recreational vehicles, etc.
- Specify materials and perform electrical construction adhering to applicable NEC and industry standards.
Electrical assembly technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 22% of Electrical Assembly Technicians are proficient in Hand Tools, Electrical Assembly, and Electrical Components. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Creativity, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Electrical Assembly Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Hand Tools, 22%
Assembled control boxes, wiring, crimping, soldering, use of hand tools and air tools, packed and shipped.
- Electrical Assembly, 10%
Completed final electrical assembly on variable speed drive controller for oil well drilling according to blueprint specifications.
- Electrical Components, 6%
Assembled wire harnesses and electrical components using wire schematics and engineering drawings.
- Mechanical Assembly, 5%
Handled mechanical assembly of computer rack systems Including wiring.
- Assembly Drawings, 4%
Assemble components based on assembly drawings, verbal instructions and schematics.
- Cranes, 4%
Conducted safety inspection of material handling equipment such as overhead cranes.
Most electrical assembly technicians use their skills in "hand tools," "electrical assembly," and "electrical components" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential electrical assembly technician responsibilities here:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an electrical assembly technician to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "mechanical engineering technologists and technicians must be able to clearly explain, both orally and in writing, the need for changes in designs or test procedures." Electrical assembly technicians often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "performed microscope surface mounting, smt and worked on microwave communication systems. "
Detail oriented. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of electrical assembly technicians is detail oriented. This skill is critical to many everyday electrical assembly technician duties, as "mechanical engineering technologists and technicians must make precise measurements and keep accurate records for mechanical engineers." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "build electrical panels using detailed blueprints used various power and hand tools assemble electrical components assist with shipping and receiving"
Math skills. For certain electrical assembly technician responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "math skills." The day-to-day duties of an electrical assembly technician rely on this skill, as "mechanical engineering technologists and technicians use mathematics for analysis, design, and troubleshooting." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what electrical assembly technicians do: "position required knowledge of shop math and reading wiring diagrams. "
Mechanical skills. A commonly-found skill in electrical assembly technician job descriptions, "mechanical skills" is essential to what electrical assembly technicians do. Electrical assembly technician responsibilities rely on this skill because "mechanical engineering technologists and technicians must apply theory and instructions from engineers by making new components for industrial machinery or equipment." You can also see how electrical assembly technician duties rely on mechanical skills in this resume example: "corrected problems with mechanical / electrical cad designs. "
The three companies that hire the most electrical assembly technicians are:
- Express Employment Indy South5 electrical assembly technicians jobs
- Metalcraft of Mayville4 electrical assembly technicians jobs
- Parker Hannifin4 electrical assembly technicians jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable electrical assembly technician resume templates
Build a professional electrical assembly technician resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your electrical assembly technician resume.
Compare different electrical assembly technicians
Electrical assembly technician vs. Assembler & quality control
Assemblers or testers assemble or test complex products to attain prompt delivery schedules and customer quality. They work on products containing electronic, dual, and mechanical hydraulic systems. Their job is to operate and maintain power and hand tools, test equipment, and manufacturing machines. It is their responsibility to produce high-quality products that exceed or meet the approval agency, customer, and engineering requirements. They also interpret engineering orders, test specifications, assembly routes, and blueprints.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, electrical assembly technician responsibilities require skills like "hand tools," "electrical assembly," "mechanical assembly," and "cranes." Meanwhile a typical assembler & quality control has skills in areas such as "part numbers," "quality checks," "safety guidelines," and "quality inspection." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Assemblers & quality control really shine in the automotive industry with an average salary of $34,668. Comparatively, electrical assembly technicians tend to make the most money in the technology industry with an average salary of $38,007.The education levels that assemblers & quality control earn slightly differ from electrical assembly technicians. In particular, assemblers & quality control are 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an electrical assembly technician. Additionally, they're 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Electrical assembly technician vs. Assembler/tester
Wire harness assemblers are tasked with binding wires to form wire harnesses, which are typically used in electrical systems and electronic equipment. They read electrical wiring schemes and binds wires together using sleeves, cable lacing, cable ties, and electrical conduits. They are expected to install wire harnesses, inspect them, and perform soldering as needed.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that electrical assembly technician responsibilities requires skills like "electrical assembly," "cranes," "control panels," and "plc." But an assembler/tester might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "safety rules," "test results," "test data," and "part numbers."
Assembler/testers earn similar levels of education than electrical assembly technicians in general. They're 1.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Electrical assembly technician vs. Wire harness assembler
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from electrical assembly technician resumes include skills like "electrical assembly," "assembly drawings," "cranes," and "blueprint specifications," whereas a wire harness assembler is more likely to list skills in "tape measure," "quality checks," "wire harness assembly," and "soldering irons. "
Wire harness assemblers earn the highest salary when working in the finance industry, where they receive an average salary of $36,950. Comparatively, electrical assembly technicians have the highest earning potential in the technology industry, with an average salary of $38,007.Most wire harness assemblers achieve a similar degree level compared to electrical assembly technicians. For example, they're 1.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Electrical assembly technician vs. Circuit board assembler
Even though a few skill sets overlap between electrical assembly technicians and circuit board assemblers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an electrical assembly technician might have more use for skills like "electrical assembly," "electrical components," "cranes," and "engineering drawings." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of circuit board assemblers require skills like "through-hole," "ipc-610," "soldering irons," and "hand solder. "
Circuit board assemblers enjoy the best pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $32,643. For comparison, electrical assembly technicians earn the highest salary in the technology industry.circuit board assemblers reach similar levels of education compared to electrical assembly technicians, in general. The difference is that they're 0.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of electrical assembly technician
Updated January 8, 2025
