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The differences between electronic instrument technicians and technical testing engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become an electronic instrument technician, becoming a technical testing engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a technical testing engineer has an average salary of $88,367, which is higher than the $52,630 average annual salary of an electronic instrument technician.
The top three skills for an electronic instrument technician include computer system, transducers and PLC. The most important skills for a technical testing engineer are test results, schematics, and test procedures.
| Electronic Instrument Technician | Technical Testing Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $52,630 | $88,367 |
| Hourly rate | $25.30 | $42.48 |
| Growth rate | - | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 40,520 | 100,815 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 59% | Associate Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 50 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
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.
A technical testing engineer is responsible for inspecting and reporting the quality of products across the production cycle. You will thoroughly check procedures, materials, and electrical and mechanical systems to produce high-quality products for customers. Your main job is to test various components and features of the product to identify and resolve technical issues. Other duties include organizing and conducting training for junior team members, creating test environments, and identifying the root cause of technical issues.
Electronic instrument technicians and technical testing engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electronic Instrument Technician | Technical Testing Engineer | |
| Average salary | $52,630 | $88,367 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $72,000 | Between $62,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Issaquah, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | Western Digital |
| Best paying industry | - | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an electronic instrument technician and a technical testing engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electronic Instrument Technician | Technical Testing Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 59% | Associate Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between electronic instrument technicians' and technical testing engineers' demographics:
| Electronic Instrument Technician | Technical Testing Engineer | |
| Average age | 50 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.6% Female, 3.4% | Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3% |
| 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, 4.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 11.8% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 4% |