Post job

Electrical technician vs electrical supervisor

The differences between electrical technicians and electrical supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an electrical supervisor has an average salary of $90,972, which is higher than the $55,215 average annual salary of an electrical technician.

The top three skills for an electrical technician include hand tools, PLC and electrical equipment. The most important skills for an electrical supervisor are electrical systems, PLC, and electrical equipment.

Electrical technician vs electrical supervisor overview

Electrical TechnicianElectrical Supervisor
Yearly salary$55,215$90,972
Hourly rate$26.55$43.74
Growth rate--
Number of jobs127,79233,839
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 41%Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Average age5049
Years of experience-4

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.

What does an electrical supervisor do?

The electrical supervisor oversees electricians' performance, training them for the repair and maintenance of equipment. They are responsible for enhancing their skills to create and design electrical operating systems in order to prevent malfunctions causing electric short circuits or shock. They also initiate the monitoring of electrical equipment. They are to help electricians install electrical equipment in establishments and homes, following standard safety protocols imposed by the state. When a defect is observed, they can quickly troubleshoot and start repair.

Electrical technician vs electrical supervisor salary

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

Electrical TechnicianElectrical Supervisor
Average salary$55,215$90,972
Salary rangeBetween $37,000 And $80,000Between $66,000 And $124,000
Highest paying CityPalo Alto, CAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateVirginiaNevada
Best paying companyTexas InstrumentsMicron Technology
Best paying industryEnergyEnergy

Differences between electrical technician and electrical supervisor education

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

Electrical TechnicianElectrical Supervisor
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 41%Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common college-Stanford University

Electrical technician vs electrical supervisor demographics

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

Electrical TechnicianElectrical Supervisor
Average age5049
Gender ratioMale, 93.3% Female, 6.7%Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3%
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, 8.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 2.1% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage8%4%

Differences between electrical technician and electrical supervisor duties and responsibilities

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 supervisor example responsibilities.

  • Manage electrical & technical crew, supervise ABB DCS & gauging system and entire maintenance department, as needed.
  • Design and implement layouts for electrical projects using ladders, aerial lifts and other equipment.
  • Start switchgear and circuit breaker maintenance and testing on schedule outages.
  • Diagnose problems with bad encoders and feedback equipment on CNC machines.
  • Repair and maintain motor switchgear, MCC's and various types of load centers.
  • Install all infrastructures for the HVAC system, pull cables and terminate control cabinets and relays.
  • Show more

Electrical technician vs electrical supervisor skills

Common electrical technician skills
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • PLC, 7%
  • Electrical Equipment, 7%
  • Electrical Systems, 6%
  • Electrical Schematics, 4%
  • Control Systems, 4%
Common electrical supervisor skills
  • Electrical Systems, 9%
  • PLC, 7%
  • Electrical Equipment, 6%
  • Preventive Maintenance, 6%
  • Control Systems, 5%
  • OSHA, 4%

Browse architecture and engineering jobs