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Wire harness assembler vs assembly technician

The differences between wire harness assemblers and assembly technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an assembly technician has an average salary of $34,952, which is higher than the $30,147 average annual salary of a wire harness assembler.

The top three skills for a wire harness assembler include hand tools, IPC and switches. The most important skills for an assembly technician are customer service, hand tools, and lean manufacturing.

Wire harness assembler vs assembly technician overview

Wire Harness AssemblerAssembly Technician
Yearly salary$30,147$34,952
Hourly rate$14.49$16.80
Growth rate-2%
Number of jobs18,31852,385
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 45%High School Diploma, 34%
Average age4949
Years of experience--

What does a wire harness assembler do?

Wire harness assemblers are tasked with binding wires to form wire harnesses, which are typically used in electrical systems and electronic equipment. They read electrical wiring schemes and binds wires together using sleeves, cable lacing, cable ties, and electrical conduits. They are expected to install wire harnesses, inspect them, and perform soldering as needed.

What does an assembly technician do?

Assembly technicians are responsible for constructing small parts and components to create a new product according to the specifications of a client or a supervisor. An assembly technician performs diagnostic tests on the assembled product to ensure efficiency and conduct adjustments as needed. An assembly technician also provides manual instructional guides for product use and troubleshooting procedures. Assembly technicians must be knowledgeable about the technology and mechanical industry, as well as have the ability to analyze designs as a guide for creating high-quality products.

Wire harness assembler vs assembly technician salary

Wire harness assemblers and assembly technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Wire Harness AssemblerAssembly Technician
Average salary$30,147$34,952
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $38,000Between $28,000 And $43,000
Highest paying CityFremont, CASunnyvale, CA
Highest paying stateArizonaWashington
Best paying companySiemensJefferson Lab
Best paying industryFinanceFinance

Differences between wire harness assembler and assembly technician education

There are a few differences between a wire harness assembler and an assembly technician in terms of educational background:

Wire Harness AssemblerAssembly Technician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 45%High School Diploma, 34%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Wire harness assembler vs assembly technician demographics

Here are the differences between wire harness assemblers' and assembly technicians' demographics:

Wire Harness AssemblerAssembly Technician
Average age4949
Gender ratioMale, 47.8% Female, 52.2%Male, 75.7% Female, 24.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 2.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 10.3% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 9.8% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between wire harness assembler and assembly technician duties and responsibilities

Wire harness assembler example responsibilities.

  • Insert wires into coupling run hand crimp machine
  • Solder components for connectors and internal switchboards and panels.
  • Follow the mylar and run the wires with the connectors.
  • Used various wire specific machines to fit wiring into switches and other production products.
  • Set up and calibrate new equipment and help to troubleshoot and solve unforeseen setbacks.
  • Do wiring for power switches such as lugging, stripping, and crimping for the wires.
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Assembly technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage the flow of each pallet to ensure the group is able to produce the quality product.
  • Perform in microscope SMT hand soldering to IPC standards and rework BTC components.
  • Use proper electrical discharge PPE (personal protection equipment) in ESD zone properly to prevent unexpect incident or damage device.
  • Perform electro-mechanical tasks using a wide range of electronic equipment.
  • Install switches, gfi's.
  • Rework (complex wiring) to CCA's according to ECO's.
  • Show more

Wire harness assembler vs assembly technician skills

Common wire harness assembler skills
  • Hand Tools, 10%
  • IPC, 9%
  • Switches, 8%
  • Tape Measure, 7%
  • Quality Checks, 7%
  • Mechanical Assembly, 6%
Common assembly technician skills
  • Customer Service, 26%
  • Hand Tools, 12%
  • Lean Manufacturing, 4%
  • Safety Procedures, 4%
  • Basic Math, 3%
  • Sub Assemblies, 3%

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