Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Career, Salary and Education Information
What They Do: Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians help engineers design and develop equipment that is powered by electricity or electric current.
Work Environment: Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians work on teams with electrical engineers. They may work in offices, laboratories, or factories. Most work full time.
How to Become One: Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians typically need an associate’s degree.
Salary: The median annual wage for electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians is $63,640.
Job Outlook: Employment of electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians is projected to grow 2 percent over the next ten years, slower than the average for all occupations.
Related Careers: Explore occupations that share similar duties, skills, interests, education, or training with the occupation covered in the profile.
Following is everything you need to know about a career as an electrical or electronics engineering technologist or technician with lots of details. As a first step, take a look at some of the following jobs, which are real jobs with real employers. You will be able to see the very real job career requirements for employers who are actively hiring. The link will open in a new tab so that you can come back to this page to continue reading about the career:
Top 3 Electrical Engineering Technician Jobs
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R&D Electrical Engineering Technician
- Mackinnon Bruce International
- Fremont, CA
The Electrical Engineering Technician will be responsible for inspecting/installing low-voltage cable harnesses and systems as well as for analyzing blueprints and schematics. The candidate should be ...
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Electrical Engineering Technician
- Astreya
- Mountain View, CA
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN Do you want to work on the most cutting-edge robotic technology? Are you a first robotics mentor in either college or high school? Or have you competed in robotics ...
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Electrical Engineering Technician
- West Coast Magnetics
- Stockton, CA
JOB POSTING Electrical Engineering Technician West Coast Magnetics is a unique manufacturing company. We create what isn't otherwise available in response to specific customer needs. When standard ...
What Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians Do[About this section] [To Top]
Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians help electrical and electronics engineers plan and develop communications equipment, computers, medical monitoring devices, or other equipment that is powered by other electricity or electric current. They often work in product evaluation and testing, using measuring and diagnostic devices to test, adjust, and repair equipment. They are also involved in assembling equipment for automation.
Duties of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Electrical engineering technologists and technicians typically do the following:
- Assemble electrical and electronic systems and prototypes
- Build, calibrate, and repair electrical instruments or testing equipment
- Visit sites where systems are made to observe conditions affecting design
- Identify solutions to technical design problems that arise in making electrical systems
- Inspect designs for quality control, report findings, and recommend changes, if necessary
- Draw diagrams and write specifications about design details of experimental electronics units
Electrical engineering technologists and technicians install and maintain electrical control systems and equipment and adjust electrical prototypes, parts, and assemblies to correct problems. When testing systems, they set up equipment and evaluate how the parts, assemblies, or systems perform under simulated conditions. They also analyze test information to resolve design problems.
Electronic engineering technologists and technicians typically do the following:
- Create basic circuitry and draft sketches to clarify details of design, under engineers' direction
- Build prototypes from plans or sketches
- Assemble, test, and maintain circuitry or electronic components according to engineering instructions, knowledge of electronics, and technical manuals
- Adjust and replace defective circuitry and electronic components
- Make parts, such as coils and terminal boards, using bench lathes, drills, or other machine tools
Electronic engineering technologists and technicians identify and repair equipment malfunctions. They also calibrate and perform preventive maintenance on equipment and systems.
These workers often need to read blueprints, diagrams, and engineering instructions for assembling electronic units. They also write reports and record data on testing techniques, laboratory equipment, and specifications.
Work Environment for Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians[About this section] [To Top]
Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians hold about 117,000 jobs. The largest employers of electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians are as follows:
| Engineering services | 12% |
| Federal government | 11% |
| Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing | 10% |
| Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing | 7% |
| Merchant wholesalers, durable goods | 5% |
Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians work on teams with electrical and electronics engineers. They work in offices, laboratories, and factories because their job tasks involve both engineering theory and assembly-line production.
Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians may be exposed to hazards from equipment or toxic materials, but incidents are rare if procedures are followed.
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologist and Technician Work Schedules
Most electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians work full time. Some work day or night shifts, depending on production schedules. In the federal government, their schedules usually follow a standard workweek.
How to Become an Electrical or Electronics Engineering Technologist or Technician[About this section] [To Top]
Get the education you need: Find schools for Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians near you!
Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians typically need an associate's degree. However, requirements may vary by employer.
Education for Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Associate's degree programs in electrical or electronic engineering technology are available at community colleges and vocational–technical schools. Programs accredited by ABET or other organizations typically include courses such as algebra, programming languages, physics, and circuitry.
Depending on the job tasks or the industry, employers may prefer to hire candidates who have a bachelor's degree. Candidates for other jobs may qualify with a high school diploma.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations for Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Certifications in a variety of fields are available for electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians. While optional, these credentials show that the designee has advanced knowledge. Among the organizations that offer certification are the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET), ETA International, and the International Society of Automation.
Important Qualities for for Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Communication skills. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians must be able to follow instructions from engineers and others. They also need to clearly convey problems to engineers.
Detail oriented. Electrical engineering technologists and technicians must pay attention to detail when assembling, troubleshooting, and repairing electronic and electrical mechanical systems.
Math skills. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians use mathematics for analysis, design, and troubleshooting tasks.
Mechanical skills. Electronic engineering technologists and technicians must use hand tools and soldering irons on small circuitry and electronic parts to build components by hand.
Problem-solving skills. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians must be able to identify and fix problems that arise in assembling and inspecting electrical engineers' designs and prototypes.
Writing skills. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians write reports about onsite construction, design problems, or testing results. Their writing must be clear and well organized to convey the information in the reports.
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologist and Technician Salaries[About this section] [More salary/earnings info] [To Top]
The median annual wage for electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians is $63,640. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $39,840, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $99,210.
The median annual wages for electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians in the top industries in which they work are as follows:
| Federal government | $76,130 |
| Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing | $61,500 |
| Engineering services | $61,180 |
| Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing | $60,770 |
| Merchant wholesalers, durable goods | $60,590 |
Most electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians work full time. Some work day or night shifts, depending on production schedules. In the federal government, their schedules usually follow a standard workweek.
Job Outlook for Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians[About this section] [To Top]
Employment of electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians is projected to grow 2 percent over the next ten years, slower than the average for all occupations.
Despite limited employment growth, about 11,000 openings for electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians also work closely with electrical and electronics engineers and computer hardware engineers in the computer systems design services industry. Demand is expected to be sustained by the continuing integration of computer and electronics systems, especially automation systems.
| Occupational Title | Employment, 2020 | Projected Employment, 2030 | Change, 2020-30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | |||
| Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians | 117,000 | 118,900 | 2 | 1,900 |
More Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologist and Technician Information[About this section] [To Top]
For more information about general engineering education and career resources, visit
American Society for Engineering Education
Technology Student Association
For more information about accredited programs, visit
For more information about certification, visit
International Society of Automation
International Society of Certified Electronics Technicians
National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET)
For information about working in automation, visit
A portion of the information on this page is used by permission of the U.S. Department of Labor.