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The differences between engineering technicians and test technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an engineering technician, becoming a test technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an engineering technician has an average salary of $60,273, which is higher than the $43,171 average annual salary of a test technician.
The top three skills for an engineering technician include technical support, data collection and test equipment. The most important skills for a test technician are test procedures, test results, and hand tools.
| Engineering Technician | Test Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $60,273 | $43,171 |
| Hourly rate | $28.98 | $20.76 |
| Growth rate | 3% | - |
| Number of jobs | 111,343 | 71,414 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Associate Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 45 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
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 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 technicians and test technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Technician | Test Technician | |
| Average salary | $60,273 | $43,171 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $96,000 | Between $30,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Western Digital | Nokia |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an engineering technician and a test technician in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Technician | Test Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Associate Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Purdue University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between engineering technicians' and test technicians' demographics:
| Engineering Technician | Test Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1% | Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4% |
| 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, 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 | 6% | 8% |