Electrical Engineering Technician Career
Electrical engineering technicians play a hugely important role in the development of new computers, machinery, equipment and other technology. As part of this, these workers often directly contribute by helping to design, test, monitor and repair equipment throughout the product evaluation and testing process.
Electrical engineering technicians work hand-in-hand with electrical engineers in designing and testing new products, and as such, they tend to work mostly in manufacturing, engineering and research-and-development settings. Most are employed by private companies, but there are also numerous employment opportunities in government and research environments.
Electrical Engineering Technician Career Snapshot
Further details on a career as an electrical engineering technician are listed below (statistics from the May 2016 Bureau of Labor Statistics and Onet Online):
is the average annual salary for electrical engineering technicians.
decrease in employment between 2014 and 2024.
have a Post-secondary certificate while 25% have an Associate’s degree.
Electrical Engineering Tech Education
The variety of technical skills and knowledge required for the career means that more than half of current workers hold either at least a post-secondary certificate or associate’s degree. In fact, an increasing number of employers will only hire those with an associate’s degree in a related field or at least several years of prior work experience. There are also a number of workers with some college and no degree, but obviously, those with more education tend to earn a higher salary.
Electrical Engineering Tech Job Duties
The general tasks of an electrical engineering technician revolve around using diagnostic equipment to test, monitor and make adjustments to whatever they are working with. Depending on the specific job, these technicians could be involved with helping to create computer equipment, medical devices, communications equipment and a wide range of other types of technology. Throughout the design and testing process, a technician may be responsible for helping to design, assemble and test prototypes. As their job is electrical in nature, much of the work revolves around inspecting, troubleshooting and repairing the electrical systems instead of focusing on the mechanical parts.
Electrical Engineering Tech Salaries
Electrical engineering technicians can expect to earn a higher wage than the national average, and in 2015 according to the BLS.gov, the average worker in this field earned approximately $62,000. Still, the overall wage range is quite broad, as those in the lowest 10 percent of earners took home an average of around $37,000 compared to an average yearly salary of nearly $92,000 for those in the top 10 percent.
Electrical Engineering Tech Job Outlook
There is currently a fairly decent demand for electrical engineering technicians. However, the total number of available jobs is expected to decrease by approximately 2 percent between 2014 and 2024. This decline is driven in major part by the growth of robotics and automation technology, which means that in some ways, these technicians may become a victim of their own successes.
Electrical Engineering Technician Skills & Traits
| Electrical Engineering Tech Skill Set: | Required Abilities: | Tools Used by Electrical Engineering Techs: | Typical Work Activities: |
|---|---|---|---|
| •Critical Thinking • Reading Comprehension • Active Listening • Complex Problem Solving | • Problem Sensitivity • Near Vision • Deductive Reasoning • Oral Comprehension | • Automatic soldering machine • Electronic measuring probes • Frequency analyzers • Signal generators | • Interacting With Computers • Getting Information • Making Decisions and Solving Problems • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates |
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