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The differences between engineering specialist technicians and test 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 test technician. Additionally, an engineering specialist technician has an average salary of $89,631, which is higher than the $43,171 average annual salary of a test technician.
The top three skills for an engineering specialist technician include troubleshoot, project management and powerpoint. The most important skills for a test technician are test procedures, test results, and hand tools.
| Engineering Specialist Technician | Test Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $89,631 | $43,171 |
| Hourly rate | $43.09 | $20.76 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 74,148 | 71,414 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Associate Degree, 45% |
| 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 test technician is responsible for running multiple diagnostic tests on various tools and equipment to boost optimization and ensure its efficient performance on operations. Test technicians inspect system components and manage calibration, following clients' specifications or the business' needs. A test technician also analyzes the system's design processes and features to understand its complexities and identify necessary upgrades. Test technicians keep a record of system issues and resolutions for reference. A test technician must have excellent knowledge of the technical and mechanical industry to perform tasks and achieve the highest customer satisfaction.
Engineering specialist technicians and test technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Specialist Technician | Test Technician | |
| Average salary | $89,631 | $43,171 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $124,000 | Between $30,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner | Nokia |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an engineering specialist technician and a test technician in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Specialist Technician | Test Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Associate Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between engineering specialist technicians' and test technicians' demographics:
| Engineering Specialist Technician | Test Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% | Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4% |
| 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% |