Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between electrical test 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 test engineer, becoming an electrical engineering technician takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, an electrical test engineer has an average salary of $74,723, which is higher than the $56,704 average annual salary of an electrical engineering technician.
The top three skills for an electrical test engineer include data analysis, labview and C++. The most important skills for an electrical engineering technician are test equipment, PLC, and CAD.
| Electrical Test Engineer | Electrical Engineering Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $74,723 | $56,704 |
| Hourly rate | $35.92 | $27.26 |
| Growth rate | 3% | - |
| Number of jobs | 69,793 | 133,838 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 45 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 10 |
An electrical test engineer specializes in developing test structures to ensure the quality and efficiency of electrical systems and equipment. Among their responsibilities include understanding and identifying the needs of electrical projects, troubleshooting errors, gathering and analyzing materials to find defects and inconsistencies, conducting tests and examinations, and analyzing test results. Moreover, an electrical test engineer must also study and identify the root of problems, recommending and implementing solutions while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
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 test engineers and electrical engineering technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Test Engineer | Electrical Engineering Technician | |
| Average salary | $74,723 | $56,704 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $98,000 | Between $41,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Walnut Creek, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Meta | Applied Materials |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Transportation |
There are a few differences between an electrical test engineer and an electrical engineering technician in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Test Engineer | Electrical Engineering Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between electrical test engineers' and electrical engineering technicians' demographics:
| Electrical Test Engineer | Electrical Engineering Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.4% Female, 8.6% | Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.8% 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% |