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The differences between engineering technicians and research and development 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 research and development technician. Additionally, a research and development technician has an average salary of $83,552, which is higher than the $60,273 average annual salary of an engineering technician.
The top three skills for an engineering technician include technical support, data collection and test equipment. The most important skills for a research and development technician are R, project management, and product management.
| Engineering Technician | Research And Development Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $60,273 | $83,552 |
| Hourly rate | $28.98 | $40.17 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 111,343 | 111,268 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 45 | 40 |
| 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 research and development technician specializes in performing mathematical and laboratory operations to support projects concerning products and development. Usually functioning as an assistant to a more experienced researcher, a research and development technician's responsibilities revolve around conducting analysis, building models and prototypes, producing reports, and performing various experiments. Furthermore, as a technician, it is crucial to coordinate with all team members, keeping an accurate record of all processes while adhering to the company's standards and regulations.
Engineering technicians and research and development technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Technician | Research And Development Technician | |
| Average salary | $60,273 | $83,552 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $96,000 | Between $55,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Western Digital | PayPal |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an engineering technician and a research and development technician in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Technician | Research And Development Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Purdue University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between engineering technicians' and research and development technicians' demographics:
| Engineering Technician | Research And Development Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1% | Male, 72.5% Female, 27.5% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 15.4% White, 50.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |