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The differences between electrical research engineers and electrical engineering technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an electrical research engineer, becoming an electrical engineering technician takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, an electrical research engineer has an average salary of $85,767, which is higher than the $56,704 average annual salary of an electrical engineering technician.
The top three skills for an electrical research engineer include C++, electrical systems and MATLAB. The most important skills for an electrical engineering technician are test equipment, PLC, and CAD.
| Electrical Research Engineer | Electrical Engineering Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $85,767 | $56,704 |
| Hourly rate | $41.23 | $27.26 |
| Growth rate | 3% | - |
| Number of jobs | 76,225 | 133,838 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 45 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 10 |
The electrical research engineers are responsible for conducting research, designing and developing new and innovative electrical products or systems, and evaluate them to improve existing technical processes. They have strong analytical and critical thinking skills and professional competency to perform intensive research and collaborate on standards for procedures, and design testing methods to identify problems and solutions. Being an electrical research engineer is essential to a company since the job involves innovation and development processes.
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 research engineers and electrical engineering technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Research Engineer | Electrical Engineering Technician | |
| Average salary | $85,767 | $56,704 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $112,000 | Between $41,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redmond, WA | Walnut Creek, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Applied Materials |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Transportation |
There are a few differences between an electrical research engineer and an electrical engineering technician in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Research Engineer | Electrical Engineering Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between electrical research engineers' and electrical engineering technicians' demographics:
| Electrical Research Engineer | Electrical Engineering Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% | Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 21.4% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 6% | 8% |