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The differences between engineering technicians and quality laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an engineering technician and a quality laboratory technician. Additionally, an engineering technician has an average salary of $60,273, which is higher than the $38,902 average annual salary of a quality laboratory technician.
The top three skills for an engineering technician include technical support, data collection and test equipment. The most important skills for a quality laboratory technician are lab equipment, quality lab, and test results.
| Engineering Technician | Quality Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $60,273 | $38,902 |
| Hourly rate | $28.98 | $18.70 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 111,343 | 104,887 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An Engineering Technician's duties vary according to the industry or company, whether mechanical, industrial, civil, agricultural, or more. However, most of the time, the responsibilities often revolve around resolving technical issues, working with and assisting Engineers in building, assembling, designing, gathering and testing data, and conducting more manual activities. Furthermore, Engineering Technicians can specialize and work in various fields after a certain training period, closely mentored or monitored by an engineer or someone with extensive expertise.
A Quality Laboratory Technician ensures that lab procedures and equipment meet a certain standard, as well as monitors production. They maintain quality service and a safe and healthy work environment through following organization standards.
Engineering technicians and quality laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Technician | Quality Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $60,273 | $38,902 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $96,000 | Between $31,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Hillsboro, OR |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Idaho |
| Best paying company | Western Digital | OMNOVA Solutions |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an engineering technician and a quality laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Technician | Quality Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Biology |
| Most common college | Purdue University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between engineering technicians' and quality laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Engineering Technician | Quality Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1% | Male, 54.1% Female, 45.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 9.2% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 7.5% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |