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The differences between engineering specialist technicians and bench 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 engineering specialist technician and a bench technician. Additionally, an engineering specialist technician has an average salary of $89,631, which is higher than the $41,317 average annual salary of a bench technician.
The top three skills for an engineering specialist technician include troubleshoot, project management and powerpoint. The most important skills for a bench technician are troubleshoot, PC, and windows.
| Engineering Specialist Technician | Bench Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $89,631 | $41,317 |
| Hourly rate | $43.09 | $19.86 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 74,148 | 79,375 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Associate Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
A Bench Technician specializes in installing, maintaining, and repairing electronic equipment and machinery. Although the extent of their responsibilities primarily depends on their place or employment industry, it typically includes conducting inspections and assessments, programming and troubleshooting systems, replacing and fixing components, and producing progress reports as needed. Moreover, a Bench Technician must maintain an active communication line with co-workers while adhering to its safety standards and regulations for a safe and efficient work environment.
Engineering specialist technicians and bench technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Specialist Technician | Bench Technician | |
| Average salary | $89,631 | $41,317 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $124,000 | Between $29,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner | - |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between an engineering specialist technician and a bench technician in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Specialist Technician | Bench Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Associate Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between engineering specialist technicians' and bench technicians' demographics:
| Engineering Specialist Technician | Bench Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% | Male, 89.4% Female, 10.6% |
| 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% |