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Become An Instrument Technician

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Working As An Instrument Technician

  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material
  • Interacting With Computers
  • Getting Information
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

  • Make Decisions

  • $61,130

    Average Salary

What Does An Instrument Technician Do

An Instrument Technician inspects, tests, and repairs electric, electronic, and mechanical instruments/systems. They also perform general maintenance on the equipment.

How To Become An Instrument Technician

Electrical and electronics engineering technicians typically need an associate’s degree.

Education

Programs for electrical and electronics engineering technicians usually lead to an associate’s degree in electrical or electronics engineering technology. Vocational–technical schools include postsecondary institutions that serve local students and emphasize training needed by local employers.

Community colleges offer programs similar to those in technical institutes but include more theory-based and liberal arts coursework. Some of these colleges allow students to concentrate in computer electronics, industrial electronics, or communications electronics.

Prospective electrical and electronics engineering technicians usually take courses in ANSI C, C++ programming, Java programming, physics, microprocessors, and circuitry. The Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET accredits programs that include at least college algebra, trigonometry, and basic science courses.

Important Qualities

Logical-thinking skills. Electrical and electronics engineering technicians must isolate and then identify problems for the engineering staff to work on. They need good reasoning skills to identify and fix problems. Technicians must also be able to follow a logical sequence or specific set of rules to carry out engineers’ designs, inspect designs for quality control, and put together prototypes.

Math skills. Electrical and electronics engineering technicians use math for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work.

Mechanical skills. Electronics engineering technicians in particular must be able to use hand tools and soldering irons on small circuitry and electronic parts to create detailed electronic components by hand.

Observational skills. Electrical engineering technicians sometimes visit construction sites to make sure that electrical engineers’ designs are being carried out correctly. They are responsible for evaluating projects onsite and reporting problems to engineers.

Problem-solving skills. Electrical and electronics engineering technicians create what engineers have designed and often test the designs to make sure that they work. Technicians help to resolve any problems that come up in carrying out the engineers’ designs.

Writing skills. These technicians must write reports about onsite construction, the results of testing, or problems they find when carrying out designs. Their writing must be clear and well organized so that the engineers they work with can understand the reports.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

The National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) offers certification in electrical power testing. This certification would benefit those technicians working in the electric power generation, transmission, and distribution industry.

ETA International also offers certifications in several fields, including basic electronics, biomedical, and renewable energy.

The International Society of Automation offers certification as a Control Systems Technician. To gain such certification, technicians must demonstrate skills in pneumatic, mechanical, and electronic instrumentation. In addition, they must demonstrate an understanding of process control loops and process control systems.

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Instrument Technician jobs

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Instrument Technician Career Paths

Instrument Technician
Field Engineer Engineer
Chief Engineer
10 Yearsyrs
Controls Technician Project Manager Program Manager
Chief Executive Officer
8 Yearsyrs
Lead Technician Service Manager General Manager
Chief Operating Officer
11 Yearsyrs
Controls Technician Field Service Technician Project Manager
Construction Manager
10 Yearsyrs
Maintenance Supervisor Planner/Scheduler Projects Controller
Controls Manager
9 Yearsyrs
Field Engineer Project Engineer Engineering Manager
Engineering Director
13 Yearsyrs
Field Service Technician Field Engineer Project Engineer
Engineering Manager
10 Yearsyrs
Engineering Technician Engineer
Lead Engineer
7 Yearsyrs
Maintenance Supervisor Driver Operation Supervisor
Logistics Manager
7 Yearsyrs
Sterile Processing Technician Surgical Technician
Material Manager
9 Yearsyrs
Maintenance Technician Field Service Technician Service Manager
Operations Manager
7 Yearsyrs
Engineering Technician Project Engineer Operations Manager
President Of Operations
11 Yearsyrs
Maintenance Technician Engineering Technician Project Manager
Program Manager
8 Yearsyrs
Field Service Technician Service Manager Operations Manager
Project Manager
8 Yearsyrs
Senior Technologist Project Manager Product Manager
Research And Development Technician
6 Yearsyrs
Senior Technologist Systems Engineer Project Engineer
Senior Electrical Engineer
12 Yearsyrs
Lead Technician Systems Administrator Operations Manager
Senior Operations Manager
9 Yearsyrs
Calibration Technician Engineering Technician Systems Engineer
Systems Manager
7 Yearsyrs
Project Manager Program Manager
Technical Director
7 Yearsyrs
Project Manager Technical Project Manager Information Technology Manager
Technical Services Manager
8 Yearsyrs
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Instrument Technician Demographics

Gender

  • Male

    84.2%

  • Female

    14.3%

  • Unknown

    1.5%

Ethnicity

  • White

    77.5%

  • Hispanic or Latino

    13.9%

  • Asian

    6.1%

  • Unknown

    1.9%

  • Black or African American

    0.5%
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Languages Spoken

  • Spanish

    66.9%

  • French

    6.3%

  • Carrier

    3.5%

  • German

    2.8%

  • Hindi

    2.8%

  • Arabic

    2.8%

  • Dakota

    2.1%

  • Urdu

    2.1%

  • Russian

    1.4%

  • Tamil

    1.4%

  • Italian

    1.4%

  • Portuguese

    0.7%

  • Norwegian

    0.7%

  • Chinese

    0.7%

  • Hawaiian

    0.7%

  • Ukrainian

    0.7%

  • Marathi

    0.7%

  • Romanian

    0.7%

  • Malayalam

    0.7%

  • Bengali

    0.7%
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Instrument Technician

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Instrument Technician Education

Instrument Technician

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Real Instrument Technician Salaries

Job Title Company Location Start Date Salary
Instrumentation Technologist University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI Jan 12, 2016 $72,215
Instrumentation Technician University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI Jan 12, 2015 $72,215
Instrumentation Technologist University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI Oct 01, 2011 $68,000
Associate Instrumentation Technologist University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI Jan 12, 2015 $65,650
Associate Instrumentation Technologist University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI Dec 01, 2015 $65,650
Instrumentation Technology Engineer Cardinal Glass Industries, Inc. Durant, OK Jul 22, 2016 $60,473
Instrument Technician Greif, Inc. Deer Park, TX Aug 23, 2016 $60,008
Lecturer and Chemistry Instrument Technician Muhlenburg College Allentown, PA Jan 08, 2016 $52,490 -
$54,102
Lecturer and Chemistry Instrument Technician Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA Jan 08, 2016 $52,490 -
$54,102
Lecturer & Chemistry Instrument Technician Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA Oct 15, 2015 $50,230
KGG-Electrical Instrumentation Technician Kinross Offshore Services Company Republic, WA Jan 20, 2014 $45,000
KGG-Electrical Instrumentation Technician Kinross Offshore Services Company NV Jan 01, 2013 $45,000
Electrical Instrumentation Technician Round Mountain Gold Corporation NV Dec 17, 2012 $45,000
KGG-Electrical Instrumentation Technician Kinross Gold U.S.A. Inc. NV Dec 17, 2012 $45,000

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Top Skills for An Instrument Technician

ControlValvesProgrammableLogicControllersPressureTransmittersTemperatureTransmittersSafetyControlSystemsSurgicalProceduresFacilityPHInstrumentationTechnicianAnalyzersProcessControlI/PHoneywellTestEquipmentPreventiveMaintenanceFlowMetersStart-UpElectricalEquipmentRefinery

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Top Instrument Technician Skills

  1. Control Valves
  2. Programmable Logic Controllers
  3. Pressure Transmitters
You can check out examples of real life uses of top skills on resumes here:
  • Performed routine instrument maintenance on high temperature furnaces, 1,000,000 gallon water tanks/thickeners, control valves, and pressure relief valves.
  • Assisted in upgrade to TDC-3000 with installation of new programmable logic controllers.
  • Calibrate and troubleshoot, D.P s, Radar levels, ultrasonic levels, pressure transmitters, temperature transmitters,.
  • Install, maintain and trouble shoot instruments such as level, flow, pressure and temperature transmitters and switches.
  • Attend monthly meetings, perform audits, safety inspections, and shop training.

Top Instrument Technician Employers

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