Post job

Electrical controls technician vs electrical technician

The differences between electrical controls technicians and electrical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an electrical controls technician has an average salary of $61,087, which is higher than the $55,215 average annual salary of an electrical technician.

The top three skills for an electrical controls technician include PLC, allen-bradley and electrical equipment. The most important skills for an electrical technician are hand tools, PLC, and electrical equipment.

Electrical controls technician vs electrical technician overview

Electrical Controls TechnicianElectrical Technician
Yearly salary$61,087$55,215
Hourly rate$29.37$26.55
Growth rate--
Number of jobs42,521127,792
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 59%Associate Degree, 41%
Average age5050
Years of experience10-

What does an electrical controls technician do?

Electrical control technicians usually assist with running equipment such as those in amusement parks and carnivals. They can also repair equipment and are responsible for maintaining robotic machinery used by factories and plants for continuity of work and production. They can also install electrical wirings, troubleshoot minor glitches, and maintain good machine performance. With enough skills, they can shut down faulty wiring without interrupting other operations. They keep records of previous malfunctions and advise on the replacement of equipment.

What does an electrical technician do?

An electrical technician is responsible for managing the electrical systems of an establishment, ensuring the safety of the network and cables to support daily operations. Electrical technicians analyze schematics and specifications to construct electrical systems, run diagnostic tests, and perform repairs for any defects and inconsistencies. They assemble electrical equipment, replace malfunctioning components, upgrading systems, and advising management of high-quality electrical supplies. An electrical technician must have excellent knowledge of the electrical and mechanical industry, especially with supervising electricians on their duties, as well as responding to the clients' inquiries and concerns.

Electrical controls technician vs electrical technician salary

Electrical controls technicians and electrical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Electrical Controls TechnicianElectrical Technician
Average salary$61,087$55,215
Salary rangeBetween $45,000 And $81,000Between $37,000 And $80,000
Highest paying CityFremont, CAPalo Alto, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaVirginia
Best paying companyBungeTexas Instruments
Best paying industryTechnologyEnergy

Differences between electrical controls technician and electrical technician education

There are a few differences between an electrical controls technician and an electrical technician in terms of educational background:

Electrical Controls TechnicianElectrical Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 59%Associate Degree, 41%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeNortheastern University-

Electrical controls technician vs electrical technician demographics

Here are the differences between electrical controls technicians' and electrical technicians' demographics:

Electrical Controls TechnicianElectrical Technician
Average age5050
Gender ratioMale, 96.4% Female, 3.6%Male, 93.3% Female, 6.7%
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 electrical controls technician and electrical technician duties and responsibilities

Electrical controls technician example responsibilities.

  • Supervise and manage several environmental ECAS annual, monthly and weekly reports in cooperation with regional CEMS manager for federal compliance.
  • Design, test, and implement PLC & SCADA programming to insure maintenance & production goals are meet.
  • Complete evaluation and modification of control systems including PLC programs, resulting in increase system efficiency and safety.
  • Develop a user interface utilizing excel and visual basic to push servo axis data into a programmable controller automatically using DDE.
  • Assist in the set-up of operator workstations with all associate software.
  • Install EMT, RMC, IMC, and PVC conduit.
  • Show more

Electrical technician example responsibilities.

  • Test printed circuit boards to comply with military, ISO, and customer specifications.
  • Inspect, test and troubleshoot a variety of PLC and microprocessor control high voltage transformer systems.
  • Work in accordance with OSHA safety regulation, NEC, ANSI, ISO9001 compliance and with company safety policies.
  • Work with proximity sensors, ac & dc motors, VFDs, and controls on a daily basis here.
  • Install EMT risers in new buildings for communications.
  • Work on equipment using CNET, DNET, and Ethernet.
  • Show more

Electrical controls technician vs electrical technician skills

Common electrical controls technician skills
  • PLC, 10%
  • Allen-Bradley, 6%
  • Electrical Equipment, 5%
  • HMI, 4%
  • Hand Tools, 4%
  • Ac Dc, 3%
Common electrical technician skills
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • PLC, 7%
  • Electrical Equipment, 7%
  • Electrical Systems, 6%
  • Electrical Schematics, 4%
  • Control Systems, 4%

Browse architecture and engineering jobs