Test laboratory technician vs engineering technician

The differences between test laboratory technicians and engineering technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a test laboratory technician, becoming an engineering technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an engineering technician has an average salary of $60,273, which is higher than the $50,765 average annual salary of a test laboratory technician.

The top three skills for a test laboratory technician include test equipment, troubleshoot and test results. The most important skills for an engineering technician are technical support, data collection, and test equipment.

Test laboratory technician vs engineering technician overview

	Test Laboratory Technician	Engineering Technician
Yearly salary	$50,765	$60,273
Hourly rate	$24.41	$28.98
Growth rate	-	3%
Number of jobs	64,233	111,343
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	44	45
Years of experience	12	4

What does a test laboratory technician do?

A test laboratory technician is responsible for conducting laboratory tests to diagnose patients' conditions and identify their treatment plans. Test laboratory technicians safely operate laboratory tools and equipment, adhering to the strict safety standards and regulations to avoid contamination and prevent potential hazards within the laboratory. They also maintain the cleanliness of the area, as well as sanitizing the instruments and properly segregating disposable materials. A test laboratory technician analyzes results and writes medical reports under the supervision of an attending physician or medical technologist.

What does an engineering technician do?

An Engineering Technician's duties vary according to the industry or company, whether mechanical, industrial, civil, agricultural, or more. However, most of the time, the responsibilities often revolve around resolving technical issues, working with and assisting Engineers in building, assembling, designing, gathering and testing data, and conducting more manual activities. Furthermore, Engineering Technicians can specialize and work in various fields after a certain training period, closely mentored or monitored by an engineer or someone with extensive expertise.

Test laboratory technician vs engineering technician salary

Test laboratory technicians and engineering technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Test Laboratory Technician	Engineering Technician
Average salary	$50,765	$60,273
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $73,000	Between $37,000 And $96,000
Highest paying City	Waltham, MA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Maine	Washington
Best paying company	Westinghouse Appliances Australia	Western Digital
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between test laboratory technician and engineering technician education

There are a few differences between a test laboratory technician and an engineering technician in terms of educational background:

	Test Laboratory Technician	Engineering Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	Purdue University	Purdue University

Test laboratory technician vs engineering technician demographics

Here are the differences between test laboratory technicians' and engineering technicians' demographics:

	Test Laboratory Technician	Engineering Technician
Average age	44	45
Gender ratio	Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9%	Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 11.6% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 9.2% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	6%

Differences between test laboratory technician and engineering technician duties and responsibilities

Test laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Used LabVIEW to collect data from measurement equipment (transducers, etc . )
Assist in the design of all RF and environmental fixtures need to test these components.
Assist product engineering to make changes to products in order to meet UL and CSA standards.
Test soil, asphalt, and concrete samples for moisture, density, durability, and other characteristics.
Test done on the asphalt must pass due to the specification of GDOT specs for the contractor to use.

Engineering technician example responsibilities.

Used Microsoft SharePoint to manage projects, web base collaboration, alerts and for document management.
Achieve UL certification for thermal overload protection used in motor applications.
Manage equipment database and organize annual equipment calibration require by internal quality control and ISO standards.
Manage and distribute cad standards to contributing design consultants and assist with any design issues as necessary.
Maintain engineering lab equipment: troubleshoot and repair any faulty electronic or mechanical malfunctions, and calibrate test equipment.
Specialize in software and hardware engineering to military standards and project management of DoD contracts.

Test laboratory technician vs engineering technician skills

Common test laboratory technician skills

Test Equipment, 8%
Troubleshoot, 7%
Test Results, 6%
Test Lab, 6%
Test Methods, 5%
Data Collection, 5%

Common engineering technician skills

Technical Support, 5%
Data Collection, 4%
Test Equipment, 4%
Asphalt, 4%
Construction Projects, 4%
Construction Materials, 4%

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Test Laboratory Technician
Test Laboratory Technician vs Engineering Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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