Microwave technician vs electronics technician

The differences between microwave technicians and electronics 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 electronics technician. Additionally, a microwave technician has an average salary of $47,493, which is higher than the $46,660 average annual salary of an electronics technician.

The top three skills for a microwave technician include test equipment, power meters and level troubleshooting. The most important skills for an electronics technician are hand tools, RF, and ladders.

Microwave technician vs electronics technician overview

	Microwave Technician	Electronics Technician
Yearly salary	$47,493	$46,660
Hourly rate	$22.83	$22.43
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	15,225	83,284
Job satisfaction	-	4.5
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 48%	Associate Degree, 52%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	12	12

Microwave technician vs electronics technician salary

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

	Microwave Technician	Electronics Technician
Average salary	$47,493	$46,660
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $60,000	Between $32,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	-	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	-	Montana
Best paying company	-	Jacobs Engineering Group
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between microwave technician and electronics technician education

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

	Microwave Technician	Electronics Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 48%	Associate Degree, 52%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	Northeastern University	Northeastern University

Microwave technician vs electronics technician demographics

Here are the differences between microwave technicians' and electronics technicians' demographics:

	Microwave Technician	Electronics Technician
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4%	Male, 91.4% Female, 8.6%
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 electronics 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.

Electronics technician example responsibilities.

Manage and distribute cad standards to contributing design consultants and assist with any design issues as necessary.
Diagnose and troubleshoot malfunctions in electrical and electronic components.
Calibrate, troubleshoot and repair professional electronic test equipment: oscilloscopes, oscillators and pulse generators.
Utilize a wide array of test equipment including oscilloscopes, signal generators, and communications monitors.
Assemble electronic components onto print circuit boards with aid of PCB component location prints and engineer assembly documentation.
Help tutor other students in writing, math and electronics.

Microwave technician vs electronics technician skills

Common microwave technician skills

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

Common electronics technician skills

Hand Tools, 6%
RF, 5%
Ladders, 4%
Preventive Maintenance, 4%
Oscilloscopes, 4%
PLC, 4%

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Microwave Technician vs Electronics Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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