Instrument technician helper vs electronic test technician

The differences between instrument technician helpers and electronic 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 instrument technician helper and an electronic test technician. Additionally, an instrument technician helper has an average salary of $58,083, which is higher than the $43,020 average annual salary of an electronic test technician.

The top three skills for an instrument technician helper include instrument trays, control valves and safety rules. The most important skills for an electronic test technician are RF, oscilloscopes, and test procedures.

Instrument technician helper vs electronic test technician overview

	Instrument Technician Helper	Electronic Test Technician
Yearly salary	$58,083	$43,020
Hourly rate	$27.92	$20.68
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	28,499	49,129
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	Associate Degree, 60%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	12	12

Instrument technician helper vs electronic test technician salary

Instrument technician helpers and electronic test technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Instrument Technician Helper	Electronic Test Technician
Average salary	$58,083	$43,020
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $73,000	Between $32,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	-	Bethesda, MD
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	Sandia National Labs
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between instrument technician helper and electronic test technician education

There are a few differences between an instrument technician helper and an electronic test technician in terms of educational background:

	Instrument Technician Helper	Electronic Test Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	Associate Degree, 60%
Most common major	Business	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northeastern University

Instrument technician helper vs electronic test technician demographics

Here are the differences between instrument technician helpers' and electronic test technicians' demographics:

	Instrument Technician Helper	Electronic Test Technician
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 83.1% Female, 16.9%	Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0%
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%

Differences between instrument technician helper and electronic test technician duties and responsibilities

Instrument technician helper example responsibilities.

Supervise and manage several environmental ECAS annual, monthly and weekly reports in cooperation with regional CEMS manager for federal compliance.
Work in MCC and in control rooms installing relays and terminal blocks.
Install PVC pipes for chemical processing at Intel computer factory for compact discs.
Assist in modifying existing transmitters, trays, struts or supports using hand or power tools.
Install, test and troubleshoot equipment to ensure safety and operational performance in industrial and plant environment.
Gain experience working on Honeywell transmitters using a Honeywell communicator and hand pump to calibrate and sell loops.

Electronic test technician example responsibilities.

Manage work load for new equipment builds for PC refresh for end of lease equipment and new user setups.
Key interface for, DOD, NASA, FDA, IPC, and ISO inspections.
Perform software and hardware debugging.
Follow ESD procedures and written safety rules.
Test and troubleshoot complex wire harnesses and panel assemblies.
Test products to adhere to ISO 9000 and FDA regulations.

Instrument technician helper vs electronic test technician skills

Common instrument technician helper skills

Instrument Trays, 34%
Control Valves, 23%
Safety Rules, 8%
Stainless Steel, 8%
RAN, 8%
Instrument Stands, 7%

Common electronic test technician skills

RF, 9%
Oscilloscopes, 8%
Test Procedures, 7%
Test Data, 6%
Hand Tools, 6%
Test Results, 4%

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Instrument Technician Helper vs Electronic Test Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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