Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between senior test technicians and engineering technician leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a senior test technician and an engineering technician lead. Additionally, an engineering technician lead has an average salary of $107,373, which is higher than the $56,825 average annual salary of a senior test technician.
The top three skills for a senior test technician include test equipment, test procedures and test results. The most important skills for an engineering technician lead are java, python, and C++.
| Senior Test Technician | Engineering Technician Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $56,825 | $107,373 |
| Hourly rate | $27.32 | $51.62 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 37,276 | 102,504 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A senior test technician inspects product functions and monitors tests. They ensure their company's products meet quality standards. They may test software with the use of a Vector Network Analyzer. They are also responsible for the preventative maintenance of equipment and systems.
Engineering technician leads are technical professionals who lead a team to design and build prototypes of a planned product or equipment. These technician leads are required to provide advice and technical support to the engineering team to resolve technical issues as well as oversee system maintenance and enhancement. They must work with both product development and manufacturing engineers to improve the existing manufacturing processes. Engineering technician leads must also participate in activities related to maintenance and troubleshooting of equipment.
Senior test technicians and engineering technician leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Test Technician | Engineering Technician Lead | |
| Average salary | $56,825 | $107,373 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $82,000 | Between $80,000 And $142,000 |
| Highest paying City | Germantown, MD | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior test technician and an engineering technician lead in terms of educational background:
| Senior Test Technician | Engineering Technician Lead | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between senior test technicians' and engineering technician leads' demographics:
| Senior Test Technician | Engineering Technician Lead | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| 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% |