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The differences between instrument technicians 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 and an electronic test technician. Additionally, an instrument technician has an average salary of $56,918, which is higher than the $43,020 average annual salary of an electronic test technician.
The top three skills for an instrument technician include patients, surgical instruments and cleanliness. The most important skills for an electronic test technician are RF, oscilloscopes, and test procedures.
| Instrument Technician | Electronic Test Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $56,918 | $43,020 |
| Hourly rate | $27.36 | $20.68 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 45,965 | 49,129 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 48% | Associate Degree, 60% |
| 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 Electronics Test Technician is responsible for testing and troubleshooting electronic equipment, components, and parts. As an Electronics Test Technician, you will investigate issues related to process control, SCADA systems, and instrumentation and suggest effective solutions. You will be responsible for analyzing and repairing broken printed circuit boards (PCB) and creating documentation for the testing of PCB assemblies. Other duties include compiling product reports and presenting these to the company heads, ensuring to maintain testing equipment, and performing multipoint safety inspections of products.
Instrument technicians and electronic test technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instrument Technician | Electronic Test Technician | |
| Average salary | $56,918 | $43,020 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $83,000 | Between $32,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Bethesda, MD |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Phillips 66 | Sandia National Labs |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Energy |
There are a few differences between an instrument technician and an electronic test technician in terms of educational background:
| Instrument Technician | Electronic Test Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 48% | Associate Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between instrument technicians' and electronic test technicians' demographics:
| Instrument Technician | Electronic Test Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% | 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% |