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The differences between electronics technicians and avionics technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become an electronics technician, becoming an avionics technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an avionics technician has an average salary of $55,545, which is higher than the $46,660 average annual salary of an electronics technician.
The top three skills for an electronics technician include hand tools, RF and ladders. The most important skills for an avionics technician are FAA, hand tools, and electrical systems.
| Electronics Technician | Avionics Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $46,660 | $55,545 |
| Hourly rate | $22.43 | $26.70 |
| Growth rate | - | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 83,284 | 25,603 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.5 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 52% | Associate Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 50 | 33 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
An electronics technician is responsible for the maintenance of the technology and electrical equipment to ensure its performance with the highest quality standards. Electronics technicians' duties include troubleshooting, replacing malfunction equipment components, upgrading technology and software systems, operating machines, diagnosing defects, analyzing blueprints, conducting system installations, and creating reports for technological procedures. An electronics technician must have excellent attention to detail and decision-making skills, as well as the ability to multi-task in performing tasks accurately and efficiently to deliver the best services to clients.
An avionics technician specializes in the installation, maintenance, and repair of aircraft tools and devices such as navigation, radar, radio, and other systems. They are primarily responsible for conducting regular testing and inspections for all devices, documenting every repair or change, replacing every defective or malfunctioning part, and assembling complex components. Furthermore, there are instances when technicians are required to weld and solder, even climb high places, during repairs.
Electronics technicians and avionics technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electronics Technician | Avionics Technician | |
| Average salary | $46,660 | $55,545 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $66,000 | Between $40,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Everett, WA |
| Highest paying state | Montana | Washington |
| Best paying company | Jacobs Engineering Group | Aerotek |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an electronics technician and an avionics technician in terms of educational background:
| Electronics Technician | Avionics Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 52% | Associate Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Purdue University |
Here are the differences between electronics technicians' and avionics technicians' demographics:
| Electronics Technician | Avionics Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 33 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.4% Female, 8.6% | Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3% |
| 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, 8.0% Unknown, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino, 27.5% Asian, 5.4% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 14% |