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The differences between instrument technicians and electronics repair 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 electronics repair technician. Additionally, an instrument technician has an average salary of $56,918, which is higher than the $41,516 average annual salary of an electronics repair technician.
The top three skills for an instrument technician include patients, surgical instruments and cleanliness. The most important skills for an electronics repair technician are electronic devices, night vision equipment, and hand tools.
| Instrument Technician | Electronics Repair Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $56,918 | $41,516 |
| Hourly rate | $27.36 | $19.96 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 45,965 | 60,023 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 48% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| 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 repair technician assists in the design, development, testing, repair, and maintenance of electronic and electrical equipment and devices such as computers, navigational equipment, and communication equipment. Your duties will include configuring files on routers, hubs, switches, and internet controllers, installing new electronic systems and equipment, and running software tests and upgrading software. Additional duties include performing preventative maintenance, maintaining reports and manuals, training new technicians in problem prevention and troubleshooting, and removing and replacing faulty components and parts.
Instrument technicians and electronics repair technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instrument Technician | Electronics Repair Technician | |
| Average salary | $56,918 | $41,516 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $83,000 | Between $30,000 And $56,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Burbank, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Phillips 66 | BWX Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between an instrument technician and an electronics repair technician in terms of educational background:
| Instrument Technician | Electronics Repair Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 48% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between instrument technicians' and electronics repair technicians' demographics:
| Instrument Technician | Electronics Repair Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% | Male, 91.4% Female, 8.6% |
| 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% |