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The differences between instrument technicians and assembly & 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 and an assembly & test technician. Additionally, an instrument technician has an average salary of $56,918, which is higher than the $38,774 average annual salary of an assembly & test technician.
The top three skills for an instrument technician include patients, surgical instruments and cleanliness. The most important skills for an assembly & test technician are mechanical assembly, aerospace, and dexterity.
| Instrument Technician | Assembly & Test Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $56,918 | $38,774 |
| Hourly rate | $27.36 | $18.64 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 45,965 | 64,354 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 48% | Associate Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
An assembly & test technician works at manufacturing facilities where they are in charge of assembling product components and subjecting them to various tests, ensuring compliance with standards and regulations. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their organization of employment, it usually includes understanding diagrams and project requirements, establishing and implementing test parameters, operating tools and equipment, maintaining records, and producing detailed reports. There are also times when they must coordinate with quality control teams, working together in a joint effort to improve production processes and results.
Instrument technicians and assembly & test technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instrument Technician | Assembly & Test Technician | |
| Average salary | $56,918 | $38,774 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $83,000 | Between $30,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Beverly, MA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Phillips 66 | BWX Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Transportation |
There are a few differences between an instrument technician and an assembly & test technician in terms of educational background:
| Instrument Technician | Assembly & Test Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 48% | Associate Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between instrument technicians' and assembly & test technicians' demographics:
| Instrument Technician | Assembly & Test Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% | Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6% |
| 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% |