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The differences between electronic test 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 test 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 $43,020 average annual salary of an electronic test technician.
The top three skills for an electronic test technician include RF, oscilloscopes and test procedures. The most important skills for a technical testing engineer are test results, schematics, and test procedures.
| Electronic Test Technician | Technical Testing Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $43,020 | $88,367 |
| Hourly rate | $20.68 | $42.48 |
| Growth rate | - | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 49,129 | 100,815 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 60% | Associate Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 50 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
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.
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 test technicians and technical testing engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electronic Test Technician | Technical Testing Engineer | |
| Average salary | $43,020 | $88,367 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $57,000 | Between $62,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bethesda, MD | Issaquah, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Washington |
| Best paying company | Sandia National Labs | Western Digital |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an electronic test technician and a technical testing engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electronic Test Technician | Technical Testing Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 60% | Associate Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between electronic test technicians' and technical testing engineers' demographics:
| Electronic Test Technician | Technical Testing Engineer | |
| Average age | 50 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0% | 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% |