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The differences between ic 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 ic technician and an instrument technician. Additionally, an ic technician has an average salary of $68,302, which is higher than the $56,918 average annual salary of an instrument technician.
The top three skills for an ic technician include control systems, electrical equipment and PLC. The most important skills for an instrument technician are patients, surgical instruments, and cleanliness.
| IC Technician | Instrument Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $68,302 | $56,918 |
| Hourly rate | $32.84 | $27.36 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 47,023 | 45,965 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 58% | Associate Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
An IC Technician is responsible for the management, maintenance, and development of all information and communications technology. They also perform basic diagnostic routines.
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.
Ic technicians and instrument technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| IC Technician | Instrument Technician | |
| Average salary | $68,302 | $56,918 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $98,000 | Between $38,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | Phillips 66 |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an ic technician and an instrument technician in terms of educational background:
| IC Technician | Instrument Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 58% | Associate Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between ic technicians' and instrument technicians' demographics:
| IC Technician | Instrument Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.1% Female, 4.9% | 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% |