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The differences between instrument technicians and senior electronics 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 a senior electronics technician. Additionally, a senior electronics technician has an average salary of $61,776, 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 a senior electronics technician are RF, technical support, and analog.
| Instrument Technician | Senior Electronics Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $56,918 | $61,776 |
| Hourly rate | $27.36 | $29.70 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 45,965 | 68,281 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 48% | Associate Degree, 58% |
| 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.
A Senior Electronics Technician organizes and directs the operations of an electronics shop. They develop and document test processes for electronic equipment.
Instrument technicians and senior electronics technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instrument Technician | Senior Electronics Technician | |
| Average salary | $56,918 | $61,776 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $83,000 | Between $44,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Pleasanton, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Phillips 66 | Halliburton |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Energy |
There are a few differences between an instrument technician and a senior electronics technician in terms of educational background:
| Instrument Technician | Senior Electronics Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 48% | Associate Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between instrument technicians' and senior electronics technicians' demographics:
| Instrument Technician | Senior Electronics Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% |
| 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% |