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The differences between engineering specialists and engineering specialist technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an engineering specialist, becoming an engineering specialist technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an engineering specialist has an average salary of $91,767, which is higher than the $89,631 average annual salary of an engineering specialist technician.
The top three skills for an engineering specialist include keyword research, google analytics and digital marketing. The most important skills for an engineering specialist technician are troubleshoot, project management, and powerpoint.
| Engineering Specialist | Engineering Specialist Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $91,767 | $89,631 |
| Hourly rate | $44.12 | $43.09 |
| Growth rate | 5% | - |
| Number of jobs | 74,442 | 74,148 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 45 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
The duties of an engineering specialist depend on their line of work or industry of employment. As a specialist, their responsibilities typically revolve around utilizing their expertise by designing and developing various systems to improve products and operations, and participate in planning and devising strategies for optimal production performance. They must also identify areas needing improvement, conduct regular maintenance checks to ensure the safety and efficiency of facilities, and collaborate with other engineers as needed. Furthermore, there are instances where they have to address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and effectively.
Engineering specialist technicians draw up equipment and product blueprints and plans. They design and build planned equipment/product prototypes and analyze product/system performance. Besides creating daily laboratory activity reports and ordering and replacing equipment parts, engineering specialist technicians also help software design and write computer programs. These professionals address and resolve product glitches and problems and conduct regular product/equipment maintenance. Moreover, engineering specialist technicians inspect product designs for issues/problems and suggest the right ways to enhance products/equipment.
Engineering specialists and engineering specialist technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Specialist | Engineering Specialist Technician | |
| Average salary | $91,767 | $89,631 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $142,000 | Between $64,000 And $124,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Newark, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Enbridge | Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between an engineering specialist and an engineering specialist technician in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Specialist | Engineering Specialist Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between engineering specialists' and engineering specialist technicians' demographics:
| Engineering Specialist | Engineering Specialist Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.5% Female, 20.5% | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 10.3% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 7% | 8% |