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The differences between electrical specialists and electrical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an electrical specialist has an average salary of $75,131, which is higher than the $55,215 average annual salary of an electrical technician.
The top three skills for an electrical specialist include electrical equipment, PLC and electrical systems. The most important skills for an electrical technician are hand tools, PLC, and electrical equipment.
| Electrical Specialist | Electrical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $75,131 | $55,215 |
| Hourly rate | $36.12 | $26.55 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 25,948 | 127,792 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Associate Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 10 | - |
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.
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 specialists and electrical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Specialist | Electrical Technician | |
| Average salary | $75,131 | $55,215 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $104,000 | Between $37,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Occidental Petroleum | Texas Instruments |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Energy |
There are a few differences between an electrical specialist and an electrical technician in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Specialist | Electrical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Associate Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | - |
Here are the differences between electrical specialists' and electrical technicians' demographics:
| Electrical Specialist | Electrical Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% | Male, 93.3% Female, 6.7% |
| 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% |