Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between electrical engineering technicians and electrical specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both an electrical engineering technician and an electrical specialist. Additionally, an electrical specialist has an average salary of $75,131, which is higher than the $56,704 average annual salary of an electrical engineering technician.
The top three skills for an electrical engineering technician include test equipment, PLC and CAD. The most important skills for an electrical specialist are electrical equipment, PLC, and electrical systems.
| Electrical Engineering Technician | Electrical Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $56,704 | $75,131 |
| Hourly rate | $27.26 | $36.12 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 133,838 | 25,948 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 10 |
An electrical engineering technician is responsible for evaluating and designing electrical systems and improving the control equipment to support business functions and operations. Electrical engineering technicians assemble and install components by analyzing blueprints and schematics accurately. They also strategize cost-reduction techniques without compromising the quality standards, requiring them to negotiate with trusted suppliers and vendors for tools and materials needed for the production. An electrical engineering technician monitors the conceptualization of layout designs until the final output launch to ensure stability and prevent downtimes.
Electrical specialists use tools and construction documents to install spaces and pathways for installing low voltage wiring. They test, terminate, and install fiber optic and wire cables using special tools and procedures. Besides maintaining, troubleshooting, testing, and installing cable systems using special tools and construction documents, electrical specialists also use construction documents and unique blueprints to install data systems. Also, they install voice systems, video systems, sound distribution systems, and communication systems. Moreover, electrical specialists perform other assigned building maintenance tasks.
Electrical engineering technicians and electrical specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Engineering Technician | Electrical Specialist | |
| Average salary | $56,704 | $75,131 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $76,000 | Between $54,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | Walnut Creek, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Applied Materials | Occidental Petroleum |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Retail |
There are a few differences between an electrical engineering technician and an electrical specialist in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Engineering Technician | Electrical Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between electrical engineering technicians' and electrical specialists' demographics:
| Electrical Engineering Technician | Electrical Specialist | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9% | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% |
| 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% |