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The differences between lead 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 a lead 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 $71,520 average annual salary of a lead instrument technician.
The top three skills for a lead instrument technician include sterilizers, OSHA and PLC. The most important skills for a technical testing engineer are test results, schematics, and test procedures.
| Lead Instrument Technician | Technical Testing Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $71,520 | $88,367 |
| Hourly rate | $34.38 | $42.48 |
| Growth rate | - | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 33,847 | 100,815 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Associate Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 50 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
Lead instrument technicians and technical testing engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Instrument Technician | Technical Testing Engineer | |
| Average salary | $71,520 | $88,367 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $102,000 | Between $62,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Issaquah, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | Western Digital |
| Best paying industry | - | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a lead instrument technician and a technical testing engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Instrument Technician | Technical Testing Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Associate Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between lead instrument technicians' and technical testing engineers' demographics:
| Lead Instrument Technician | Technical Testing Engineer | |
| Average age | 50 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% | 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% |