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The differences between instrument technicians and engineering technician leads 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 engineering technician lead. Additionally, an engineering technician lead has an average salary of $107,373, which is higher than the $56,918 average annual salary of an instrument technician.
The top three skills for an instrument technician include patients, surgical instruments and cleanliness. The most important skills for an engineering technician lead are java, python, and C++.
| Instrument Technician | Engineering Technician Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $56,918 | $107,373 |
| Hourly rate | $27.36 | $51.62 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 45,965 | 102,504 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| 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.
Engineering technician leads are technical professionals who lead a team to design and build prototypes of a planned product or equipment. These technician leads are required to provide advice and technical support to the engineering team to resolve technical issues as well as oversee system maintenance and enhancement. They must work with both product development and manufacturing engineers to improve the existing manufacturing processes. Engineering technician leads must also participate in activities related to maintenance and troubleshooting of equipment.
Instrument technicians and engineering technician leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instrument Technician | Engineering Technician Lead | |
| Average salary | $56,918 | $107,373 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $83,000 | Between $80,000 And $142,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Phillips 66 | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between an instrument technician and an engineering technician lead in terms of educational background:
| Instrument Technician | Engineering Technician Lead | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between instrument technicians' and engineering technician leads' demographics:
| Instrument Technician | Engineering Technician Lead | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| 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% |