What does an electronic assembly technician do?
Electronic assembly technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real electronic assembly technician resumes:
- Operate stamping machine and assemble ESD carts.
- Flex circuits, through-hole components and limit SMD work.
- Hand soldering through-hole and SMT soldering to component level repairs.
- Perform component level repair on SMT PWB's using test bed data.
- Handle small delicate components, using ESD practices and clean room protocol.
- Operate metalworking machines to fabricate housings, jigs, fittings, or fixtures.
- Use power drill/screwdriver, pliers, wire cutters or wire strippers, and tweezers.
- Use test fixtures, meters and soldering station to diagnose and make PCB repairs (individual and full panel).
- Spearhead ISO third party audit for equipment and instrumentation calibration system and update all documentation in conformance with these activities.
- Build, repair and test interlock devices; solder resistors, IC chips and other small parts to the circuit boards
- Conduct safety inspection of material handling equipment such as overhead cranes.
- Detail hand soldering operation and insertion of components and limit testing operation on PCB before ship to designate area.
- Diagnose and troubleshoot malfunctions in electrical components, including solid state and transistorize subsystems.
Electronic assembly technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Electronic Assembly Technicians are proficient in Mechanical Assembly, Mechanical Drawings, and Lean Manufacturing. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Creativity, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Electronic Assembly Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Mechanical Assembly, 12%
Performed PCB prototyping, wire harnessing and light mechanical assembly in support GCN's development.
- Mechanical Drawings, 11%
Performed incoming inspection of vender produced piece parts in accordance to mechanical drawings and putting them into stock room for production.
- Lean Manufacturing, 9%
Practiced 5S, Lean Manufacturing & GMP.
- Soldering Irons, 7%
Connected component leads using solder equipment including solder pots and soldering irons.
- Surface Mount Components, 5%
Assembled and repaired circuit boards with surface mount components.
- Drill Press, 5%
Followed mechanical schematics, blue prints and utilized drill press to make and assemble heat sinks for power supplies and QC-Lasers.
Common skills that an electronic assembly technician uses to do their job include "mechanical assembly," "mechanical drawings," and "lean manufacturing." You can find details on the most important electronic assembly technician responsibilities below.
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for an electronic assembly technician to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what electronic assembly technicians do because "mechanical engineering technologists and technicians must be able to clearly explain, both orally and in writing, the need for changes in designs or test procedures." Additionally, an electronic assembly technician resume shows how electronic assembly technicians use communication skills: "assembled broadcast communication systems in support of smt electronic systems. "
Detail oriented. This is an important skill for electronic assembly technicians to perform their duties. For an example of how electronic assembly technician responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "mechanical engineering technologists and technicians must make precise measurements and keep accurate records for mechanical engineers." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an electronic assembly technician: "detailed hand soldering operation and insertion of components and limited testing operation on pcb before ship to designated area. ".
Math skills. For certain electronic assembly technician responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "math skills." The day-to-day duties of an electronic assembly technician rely on this skill, as "mechanical engineering technologists and technicians use mathematics for analysis, design, and troubleshooting." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what electronic assembly technicians do: "possess fundamental math skills and the ability to use a microscope for extended periods of time. "
Mechanical skills. Another common skill required for electronic assembly technician responsibilities is "mechanical skills." This skill comes up in the duties of electronic assembly technicians all the time, as "mechanical engineering technologists and technicians must apply theory and instructions from engineers by making new components for industrial machinery or equipment." An excerpt from a real electronic assembly technician resume shows how this skill is central to what an electronic assembly technician does: "prepared, drilled, and assembled all hardware for electro-mechanical unit enclosures. "
The three companies that hire the most electronic assembly technicians are:
- Express Employment Indy South4 electronic assembly technicians jobs
- AirBorn3 electronic assembly technicians jobs
- Rice Lake Weighing Systems3 electronic assembly technicians jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable electronic assembly technician resume templates
Build a professional electronic assembly technician resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your electronic assembly technician resume.
Compare different electronic assembly technicians
Electronic assembly technician vs. Assembler & quality control
Assemblers or testers assemble or test complex products to attain prompt delivery schedules and customer quality. They work on products containing electronic, dual, and mechanical hydraulic systems. Their job is to operate and maintain power and hand tools, test equipment, and manufacturing machines. It is their responsibility to produce high-quality products that exceed or meet the approval agency, customer, and engineering requirements. They also interpret engineering orders, test specifications, assembly routes, and blueprints.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an electronic assembly technician are more likely to require skills like "mechanical assembly," "mechanical drawings," "lean manufacturing," and "surface mount components." On the other hand, a job as an assembler & quality control requires skills like "part numbers," "quality checks," "safety guidelines," and "quality inspection." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Assemblers & quality control really shine in the automotive industry with an average salary of $34,668. Comparatively, electronic assembly technicians tend to make the most money in the technology industry with an average salary of $35,468.On average, assemblers & quality control reach similar levels of education than electronic assembly technicians. Assemblers & quality control are 0.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Electronic assembly technician vs. Assembler/tester
An assembly inspector is primarily in charge of inspecting products, usually furniture and fixtures, to ensure compliance with production standards. Their responsibilities typically include examining surfaces to identify any dents or damages, conducting measurements and assessments, marking identified issues, reviewing documentation, and maintaining records, producing detailed reports for teams and managers. Moreover, as an assembly inspector, it is essential to lead and encourage staff to reach goals, all while implementing the company's production standards and policies.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, electronic assembly technician responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "mechanical drawings," "surface mount components," "drill press," and "ipc." Meanwhile, an assembler/tester has duties that require skills in areas such as "safety rules," "test results," "test data," and "quality standards." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Assembler/testers earn similar levels of education than electronic assembly technicians in general. They're 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Electronic assembly technician vs. Circuit board assembler
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from electronic assembly technician resumes include skills like "mechanical drawings," "lean manufacturing," "surface mount components," and "drill press," whereas a circuit board assembler is more likely to list skills in "through-hole," "ipc-610," "hand solder," and "circuit cards. "
Circuit board assemblers earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $32,643. Comparatively, electronic assembly technicians have the highest earning potential in the technology industry, with an average salary of $35,468.When it comes to education, circuit board assemblers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to electronic assembly technicians. In fact, they're 0.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Electronic assembly technician vs. Assembly inspector
Even though a few skill sets overlap between electronic assembly technicians and assembly inspectors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an electronic assembly technician might have more use for skills like "mechanical assembly," "mechanical drawings," "lean manufacturing," and "soldering irons." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of assembly inspectors require skills like "line assembly," "inspection results," "circuit boards," and "safety policies. "
The automotive industry tends to pay the highest salaries for assembly inspectors, with average annual pay of $31,703. Comparatively, the highest electronic assembly technician annual salary comes from the technology industry.assembly inspectors reach similar levels of education compared to electronic assembly technicians, in general. The difference is that they're 0.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of electronic assembly technician
Updated January 8, 2025
