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The differences between engineering specialist technicians and instrument 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 an instrument technician. Additionally, an engineering specialist technician has an average salary of $89,631, which is higher than the $56,918 average annual salary of an instrument technician.
The top three skills for an engineering specialist technician include troubleshoot, project management and powerpoint. The most important skills for an instrument technician are patients, surgical instruments, and cleanliness.
| Engineering Specialist Technician | Instrument Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $89,631 | $56,918 |
| Hourly rate | $43.09 | $27.36 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 74,148 | 45,965 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Associate Degree, 48% |
| 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.
An instrument technician is an individual who is responsible for testing, repairing, and inspecting all manufacturing equipment to ensure proper operations of the machines. Instrument technicians collaborate with engineers to develop and produce equipment design and provide advice to process technicians about equipment operation. They remove defective equipment so that they can decontaminate and replace the damaged ones with new machines. They are also required by their employer to obtain certification in the field of instrumentation technology.
Engineering specialist technicians and instrument technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Specialist Technician | Instrument Technician | |
| Average salary | $89,631 | $56,918 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $124,000 | Between $38,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner | Phillips 66 |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an engineering specialist technician and an instrument technician in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Specialist Technician | Instrument Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Associate Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between engineering specialist technicians' and instrument technicians' demographics:
| Engineering Specialist Technician | Instrument Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% |
| 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% |