Microwave technician vs assembly & test technician

The differences between microwave technicians and assembly & 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 microwave technician and an assembly & test technician. Additionally, a microwave technician has an average salary of $47,493, which is higher than the $38,774 average annual salary of an assembly & test technician.

The top three skills for a microwave technician include test equipment, power meters and level troubleshooting. The most important skills for an assembly & test technician are mechanical assembly, aerospace, and dexterity.

Microwave technician vs assembly & test technician overview

	Microwave Technician	Assembly & Test Technician
Yearly salary	$47,493	$38,774
Hourly rate	$22.83	$18.64
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	15,225	64,354
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 48%	Associate Degree, 47%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	12	12

Microwave technician vs assembly & test technician salary

Microwave technicians and assembly & test technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Microwave Technician	Assembly & Test Technician
Average salary	$47,493	$38,774
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $60,000	Between $30,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	-	Beverly, MA
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	BWX Technologies
Best paying industry	-	Transportation

Differences between microwave technician and assembly & test technician education

There are a few differences between a microwave technician and an assembly & test technician in terms of educational background:

	Microwave Technician	Assembly & Test Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 48%	Associate Degree, 47%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	Northeastern University	Northeastern University

Microwave technician vs assembly & test technician demographics

Here are the differences between microwave technicians' and assembly & test technicians' demographics:

	Microwave Technician	Assembly & Test Technician
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4%	Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6%
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%

Differences between microwave technician and assembly & test technician duties and responsibilities

Microwave technician example responsibilities.

Assist in managing CDMA network, Voice/EVDO circuit's layouts, CDM circuit inventory and roll over's for cell sites.
Perform FCC proof of performance testing.
Measure insertion loss, isolation and VSWR.
Check quality of transmit signals and verify FCC compliance.
Conduct testing, tuning and troubleshooting of PC boards.
Maintain the operation of several active microwave and fiber systems by Nortel, Alcatel and Glenayre.

Assembly & test technician example responsibilities.

Install and manage windows applications for the user, maintain servers and manage help desk operations.
Perform inspections on transformers, electrical motors, and switches.
Test transformers and adapters using ac power source and power resistors.
Help transition from PLC and hydraulic actuation to current computer control equipment.
Apply and practice QA processes to ensure products are within tolerances and safe to deliver to clients.
Assist the test labs in the writing and maintenance of ISO documentation relate to product test work instructions.

Microwave technician vs assembly & test technician skills

Common microwave technician skills

Test Equipment, 20%
Power Meters, 11%
Level Troubleshooting, 10%
MW, 7%
Frequency Counters, 5%
Antenna Systems, 4%

Common assembly & test technician skills

Mechanical Assembly, 8%
Aerospace, 7%
Dexterity, 6%
Calipers, 5%
Test Results, 5%
FAA, 4%

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Microwave Technician vs Assembly & Test Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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