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The differences between laser systems engineers and system technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a laser systems engineer, becoming a system technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a laser systems engineer has an average salary of $99,191, which is higher than the $43,410 average annual salary of a system technician.
The top three skills for a laser systems engineer include labview, engineering support and MATLAB. The most important skills for a system technician are customer service, hand tools, and preventative maintenance.
| Laser Systems Engineer | System Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $99,191 | $43,410 |
| Hourly rate | $47.69 | $20.87 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 85,174 | 137,121 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Associate Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
Laser systems engineers and system technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laser Systems Engineer | System Technician | |
| Average salary | $99,191 | $43,410 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $138,000 | Between $27,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | Bristol-Myers Squibb |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a laser systems engineer and a system technician in terms of educational background:
| Laser Systems Engineer | System Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Associate Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between laser systems engineers' and system technicians' demographics:
| Laser Systems Engineer | System Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 10.5% White, 73.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 9% |