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The differences between lead instrument technicians and test technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a lead instrument technician and a test technician. Additionally, a lead instrument technician has an average salary of $71,520, which is higher than the $43,171 average annual salary of a test technician.
The top three skills for a lead instrument technician include sterilizers, OSHA and PLC. The most important skills for a test technician are test procedures, test results, and hand tools.
| Lead Instrument Technician | Test Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $71,520 | $43,171 |
| Hourly rate | $34.38 | $20.76 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 33,847 | 71,414 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Associate Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Lead instrument technicians and test technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Instrument Technician | Test Technician | |
| Average salary | $71,520 | $43,171 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $102,000 | Between $30,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | Nokia |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lead instrument technician and a test technician in terms of educational background:
| Lead Instrument Technician | Test Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Associate Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between lead instrument technicians' and test technicians' demographics:
| Lead Instrument Technician | Test Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% | Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4% |
| 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% |