Microwave technician vs electronic test technician

The differences between microwave technicians and electronic 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 electronic test technician. Additionally, a microwave technician has an average salary of $47,493, which is higher than the $43,020 average annual salary of an electronic test technician.

The top three skills for a microwave technician include test equipment, power meters and level troubleshooting. The most important skills for an electronic test technician are RF, oscilloscopes, and test procedures.

Microwave technician vs electronic test technician overview

	Microwave Technician	Electronic Test Technician
Yearly salary	$47,493	$43,020
Hourly rate	$22.83	$20.68
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	15,225	49,129
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 48%	Associate Degree, 60%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	12	12

Microwave technician vs electronic test technician salary

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

	Microwave Technician	Electronic Test Technician
Average salary	$47,493	$43,020
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $60,000	Between $32,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	-	Bethesda, MD
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	Sandia National Labs
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between microwave technician and electronic test technician education

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

	Microwave Technician	Electronic Test Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 48%	Associate Degree, 60%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	Northeastern University	Northeastern University

Microwave technician vs electronic test technician demographics

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

	Microwave Technician	Electronic Test Technician
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4%	Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0%
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 electronic 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.

Electronic test technician example responsibilities.

Manage work load for new equipment builds for PC refresh for end of lease equipment and new user setups.
Key interface for, DOD, NASA, FDA, IPC, and ISO inspections.
Perform software and hardware debugging.
Follow ESD procedures and written safety rules.
Test and troubleshoot complex wire harnesses and panel assemblies.
Test products to adhere to ISO 9000 and FDA regulations.

Microwave technician vs electronic 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 electronic test technician skills

RF, 9%
Oscilloscopes, 8%
Test Procedures, 7%
Test Data, 6%
Hand Tools, 6%
Test Results, 4%

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Microwave Technician vs Electronic Test Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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