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The differences between technical advisors and engineering specialist technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a technical advisor, becoming an engineering specialist technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a technical advisor has an average salary of $106,686, which is higher than the $89,631 average annual salary of an engineering specialist technician.
The top three skills for a technical advisor include java, customer service and provisioning. The most important skills for an engineering specialist technician are troubleshoot, project management, and powerpoint.
| Technical Advisor | Engineering Specialist Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $106,686 | $89,631 |
| Hourly rate | $51.29 | $43.09 |
| Growth rate | 10% | - |
| Number of jobs | 118,740 | 74,148 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 42 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
Technical advisors are experts in a specific field of knowledge, offering information and advice to those in the field. They develop applications, coordinate the activities of technicians, and provide technical expertise. They offer advice and suggestions to specialists. The skills they need to possess include multitasking abilities, attention to detail, and exceptional customer service. They are also required to be savvy in terms of information technology, business practices, and have significant experience in this field.
Engineering specialist technicians draw up equipment and product blueprints and plans. They design and build planned equipment/product prototypes and analyze product/system performance. Besides creating daily laboratory activity reports and ordering and replacing equipment parts, engineering specialist technicians also help software design and write computer programs. These professionals address and resolve product glitches and problems and conduct regular product/equipment maintenance. Moreover, engineering specialist technicians inspect product designs for issues/problems and suggest the right ways to enhance products/equipment.
Technical advisors and engineering specialist technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Advisor | Engineering Specialist Technician | |
| Average salary | $106,686 | $89,631 |
| Salary range | Between $79,000 And $143,000 | Between $64,000 And $124,000 |
| Highest paying City | Kentfield, CA | Newark, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Perkins Coie | Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a technical advisor and an engineering specialist technician in terms of educational background:
| Technical Advisor | Engineering Specialist Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between technical advisors' and engineering specialist technicians' demographics:
| Technical Advisor | Engineering Specialist Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.7% Female, 27.3% | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 11.7% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 11% | 8% |