What is an instrument technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

John Irwin EdD

An instrument technician installs, repairs, maintains, and calibrates instruments and control systems used in industrial settings. These professionals work in various industries including oil and gas, manufacturing, and healthcare. Their job entails troubleshooting and diagnosing issues with instruments and control systems and making recommendations for improvement. They also ensure that equipment is running efficiently and safely. Instrument technicians have a strong understanding of electrical, mechanical, and electronic principles, as well as knowledge of software programming.

What general advice would you give to an instrument technician?

John Irwin EdD

Chair, Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology, Professor, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Michigan Technological University

Engineering technology graduates are masters of technology, gaining a broad and deep understanding of the processes, systems, tools, and techniques necessary to construct, modify, operate, and maintain an engineering design. They act as technological integrators, bridging the gap between the skilled trades and engineering fundamentals. This is a great career path for those who enjoy engineering concepts but would rather spend time working with their hands solving specific technical issues than tackling broader, more complex design challenges.

ScoreInstrument TechnicianUS Average

Salary

4.4

Avg. Salary $56,918

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

2.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.15%

Asian 8.05%

Black or African American 6.26%

Hispanic or Latino 10.43%

Unknown 4.32%

White 70.79%

Gender

female 16.62%

male 83.38%

Age - 52

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 52

Stress level

5.5

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.2

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an instrument technician?

Pros

Opportunity to work with different types of instruments
Chance to work in different industries
Good pay and benefits
High demand for skilled technicians
Opportunity for travel

Cons

Physically demanding work
Exposure to hazardous materials or chemicals
Long hours on your feet
Required to be on call outside of regular business hours
Requires a lot of concentration and attention to detail

Key steps to become an instrument technician

Explore instrument technician education requirements

Most common instrument technician degrees

Associate

48.1 %

Bachelor's

22.2 %

High School Diploma

12.6 %

Start to develop specific instrument technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	15.25%
Surgical Instruments	8.43%
Cleanliness	5.91%
Hand Tools	4.89%
Control Systems	4.60%

Complete relevant instrument technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New instrument technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an instrument technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real instrument technician resumes.

Gain additional instrument technician certifications

Instrument technician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific instrument technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for instrument technicians include Instrumentation Certification and Industrial Instrumentation - Level I.

More About Certifications

Research instrument technician duties and responsibilities

Lead the planning and coordination of QC instrumentation and software qualification to be compliant with best practices.
Lead a team of 10 engineers to develop an infrare telescope that are launched on the NASA high-altitude balloonproject BRRISON/BOPPS.
Accomplish team sales of 464K in clinical chemistry and hematology instrumentation.
Adhere to safe work practices including lock out/tag out, OSHA regulations, NFPA, and NEC code regulations.

Prepare your instrument technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your instrument technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an instrument technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable instrument technician resume templates

Build a professional instrument technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your instrument technician resume.

Apply for instrument technician jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an instrument technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do instrument technicians rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Instrument technician reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019

Pros

Enjoy every aspect of this job.from dealing with my customets to making sure that the job is being done correct and on time. Customsrs being happy as well as my boss's being happy.