Small parts assembler vs electronic assembly technician

The differences between small parts assemblers and electronic assembly technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an electronic assembly technician has an average salary of $34,320, which is higher than the $30,660 average annual salary of a small parts assembler.

The top three skills for a small parts assembler include hand tools, assembly tasks and dexterity. The most important skills for an electronic assembly technician are mechanical assembly, mechanical drawings, and lean manufacturing.

Small parts assembler vs electronic assembly technician overview

	Small Parts Assembler	Electronic Assembly Technician
Yearly salary	$30,660	$34,320
Hourly rate	$14.74	$16.50
Growth rate	-	2%
Number of jobs	40,912	21,997
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	Associate Degree, 49%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	-	-

Small parts assembler vs electronic assembly technician salary

Small parts assemblers and electronic assembly technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Small Parts Assembler	Electronic Assembly Technician
Average salary	$30,660	$34,320
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $38,000	Between $28,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	New Bedford, MA	Phoenix, AZ
Highest paying state	Alaska	Arizona
Best paying company	Astronics	Battelle
Best paying industry	Energy	Technology

Differences between small parts assembler and electronic assembly technician education

There are a few differences between a small parts assembler and an electronic assembly technician in terms of educational background:

	Small Parts Assembler	Electronic Assembly Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	Associate Degree, 49%
Most common major	Business	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	-	-

Small parts assembler vs electronic assembly technician demographics

Here are the differences between small parts assemblers' and electronic assembly technicians' demographics:

	Small Parts Assembler	Electronic Assembly Technician
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 55.6% Female, 44.4%	Male, 73.4% Female, 26.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 2.5% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 9.5% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 11.8% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between small parts assembler and electronic assembly technician duties and responsibilities

Small parts assembler example responsibilities.

Excel in interpreting detail aligning units using jigs and fixtures, and inspecting complete components to ensure conformance to specifications.
Excel in interpreting detail aligning units using jigs and fixtures, and inspecting complete components to ensure conformance to specifications.

Electronic assembly technician example responsibilities.

Operate stamping machine and assemble ESD carts.
Flex circuits, through-hole components and limit SMD work.
Hand soldering through-hole and SMT soldering to component level repairs.
Perform component level repair on SMT PWB's using test bed data.
Handle small delicate components, using ESD practices and clean room protocol.
Operate metalworking machines to fabricate housings, jigs, fittings, or fixtures.

Small parts assembler vs electronic assembly technician skills

Common small parts assembler skills

Hand Tools, 41%
Assembly Tasks, 19%
Dexterity, 18%
Circuit Boards, 4%
Quality Checks, 4%
Assembly Problems, 4%

Common electronic assembly technician skills

Mechanical Assembly, 12%
Mechanical Drawings, 11%
Lean Manufacturing, 9%
Soldering Irons, 7%
Surface Mount Components, 5%
Drill Press, 5%

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Small Parts Assembler
Small Parts Assembler vs Electronic Assembly Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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