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The differences between electronic instrument technicians and electronic test technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an electronic instrument technician and an electronic test technician. Additionally, an electronic instrument technician has an average salary of $52,630, which is higher than the $43,020 average annual salary of an electronic test technician.
The top three skills for an electronic instrument technician include computer system, transducers and PLC. The most important skills for an electronic test technician are RF, oscilloscopes, and test procedures.
| Electronic Instrument Technician | Electronic Test Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $52,630 | $43,020 |
| Hourly rate | $25.30 | $20.68 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 40,520 | 49,129 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 59% | Associate Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
An electronic instrument technician is responsible for choosing the best electrical instruments. They are the first to test an electronic instrument to check for any damage and conduct repairs as needed. They are also responsible for evaluating electronic instruments using different assessing systems. Maintenance of the tools used and scheduled troubleshooting is also the technician's job. They can be working inside a factory, standing for long hours, so strong stamina is needed. They can also be seen inside a retail store, so good communication skills are necessary.
An Electronics Test Technician is responsible for testing and troubleshooting electronic equipment, components, and parts. As an Electronics Test Technician, you will investigate issues related to process control, SCADA systems, and instrumentation and suggest effective solutions. You will be responsible for analyzing and repairing broken printed circuit boards (PCB) and creating documentation for the testing of PCB assemblies. Other duties include compiling product reports and presenting these to the company heads, ensuring to maintain testing equipment, and performing multipoint safety inspections of products.
Electronic instrument technicians and electronic test technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electronic Instrument Technician | Electronic Test Technician | |
| Average salary | $52,630 | $43,020 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $72,000 | Between $32,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Bethesda, MD |
| Highest paying state | - | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | Sandia National Labs |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between an electronic instrument technician and an electronic test technician in terms of educational background:
| Electronic Instrument Technician | Electronic Test Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 59% | Associate Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between electronic instrument technicians' and electronic test technicians' demographics:
| Electronic Instrument Technician | Electronic Test Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.6% Female, 3.4% | Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0% |
| 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% |