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What is a senior engineering technician and how to become one
If the idea of taking the lead in developing a new and innovative project or product interests you, then you should consider becoming a senior engineering technician. Senior engineering technicians typically work on projects related to construction, manufacturing, or semi-conductors.
If you choose to pursue this career path, you may end up performing a variety of tasks, depending on the industry that you choose to work in. Some of the tasks you may perform include performing construction layout analyses, developing new configurations as part of the design phase for a project, or checking engineering computations made by junior team members.
Senior engineering technicians must be an expert problem-solver, with an eye for technical accuracy and thoroughness. Moreover, technicians play a leadership role, frequently assisting other engineers with construction, assembly, and design.
Generally speaking, senior engineering technicians must have at least a bachelor's degree in a technical field. Most employers will also require their technicians to be well-versed in the use of design software packages such as autoCAD.
What general advice would you give to a senior engineering technician?
Joseph Reichenberger PE [CA AZ HI NM NV], BCEE, F.ASCE![Joseph Reichenberger PE [CA AZ HI NM NV], BCEE, F.ASCE LinkedIn profile](https://static.zippia.com/ui-router/images/linkedin-rounded-new.svg){kind=small}
Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, Website
If you get to an interview, do more research so you can speak intelligently about the company or organization you are interviewing with. Be attentive; look the interviewer in the eyes and be confident. If you get the job and it's close to what you were looking for, accept it and try it out. The important thing for an entry-level engineer is to get experience. I believe it is important to not try to find the "perfect job" because that may leave you in the cold.
I had a mechanical engineering graduate come to me as part of an honor society faculty interview a number of years ago. After chatting a while, I asked the student what he wanted to do when he graduated. He told me he wanted to design roller coasters. I told him I think that's great, but there are probably only about 3 or 4 jobs like that in the U.S. Don't be that particular. Then I went on to tell him that when I got out of school I worked for the County of Los Angeles designing drains and channels and there was a colleague with about the same experience I had and he told me he was leaving and taking a job near Lake Tahoe. I told him sounds like a great location; what are you going to do? He told me he was going to a firm that designs ski lifts, something he was fascinated with. The advice here is to never lose sight of your goal, but there may be a few "stops" along the way.
Avg. Salary $88,615
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 3%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.68%
Asian 11.32%
Black or African American 8.88%
Hispanic or Latino 15.58%
Unknown 4.82%
White 58.72%
Genderfemale 11.46%
male 88.54%
Age - 46American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 46Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is poor
6.4 - fair
Senior engineering technician career paths
Key steps to become a senior engineering technician
Explore senior engineering technician education requirements
Start to develop specific senior engineering technician skills
Skills Percentages Java 8.03% SR 4.85% Emerging Technologies 4.80% Troubleshoot 4.36% Technical Support 3.75% Complete relevant senior engineering technician training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior engineering technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior engineering technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior engineering technician resumes.Research senior engineering technician duties and responsibilities
- Manage and distribute cad standards to contributing design consultants and assist with any design issues as necessary.
- Determine and insure how statistical process control (SPC) are performed, collect, and update.
- Test equipment utilize included DMM's, oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, waveform function generators, and signal generators.
- Demonstrate expertise in analog and digital electronic circuit design.
Get senior engineering technician experience
Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a senior engineering technician. The most common roles before becoming a senior engineering technician include engineering technician, electronics technician team lead and technician.Prepare your senior engineering technician resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior engineering technician resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior engineering technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable senior engineering technician resume templates
Build a professional senior engineering technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your senior engineering technician resume.
Apply for senior engineering technician jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a senior engineering technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first senior engineering technician job
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Average senior engineering technician salary
The average senior engineering technician salary in the United States is $88,615 per year or $43 per hour. Senior engineering technician salaries range between $63,000 and $123,000 per year.
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Updated January 8, 2025
