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The differences between instrument technicians and technical testing engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become an instrument technician, becoming a technical testing engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a technical testing engineer has an average salary of $88,367, 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 technical testing engineer are test results, schematics, and test procedures.
| Instrument Technician | Technical Testing Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $56,918 | $88,367 |
| Hourly rate | $27.36 | $42.48 |
| Growth rate | - | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 45,965 | 100,815 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 48% | Associate Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 50 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
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 technical testing engineer is responsible for inspecting and reporting the quality of products across the production cycle. You will thoroughly check procedures, materials, and electrical and mechanical systems to produce high-quality products for customers. Your main job is to test various components and features of the product to identify and resolve technical issues. Other duties include organizing and conducting training for junior team members, creating test environments, and identifying the root cause of technical issues.
Instrument technicians and technical testing engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instrument Technician | Technical Testing Engineer | |
| Average salary | $56,918 | $88,367 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $83,000 | Between $62,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Issaquah, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Washington |
| Best paying company | Phillips 66 | Western Digital |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an instrument technician and a technical testing engineer in terms of educational background:
| Instrument Technician | Technical Testing Engineer | |
| 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 technical testing engineers' demographics:
| Instrument Technician | Technical Testing Engineer | |
| Average age | 50 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% | Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3% |
| 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, 4.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 11.8% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 4% |