Electrical or Electronic Engineering Technician

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

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

Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians held about 105,000 jobs in 2021. The largest employers of electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians were as follows:

Federal government 12%
Engineering services 12
Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing 12
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing        7
Merchant wholesalers, durable goods 3

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.

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. 

Education and Training

Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians typically need an associate’s degree. However, requirements may vary by employer.

Education

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

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.

Personality and Interests

Electrical and electronics engineering technicians typically have an interest in the Building Thinking interest areas, according to the Holland Code framework. The Building interest area indicates a focus on working with tools and machines, and making or fixing practical things. The Thinking interest area indicates a focus on researching, investigating, and increasing the understanding of natural laws.

If you are not sure whether you have a Building or Thinking interest which might fit with a career as a electrical and electronics engineering technician, you can take a career test to measure your interests.

Electrical and electronics engineering technicians should also possess the following specific qualities:

Logical-thinking skills. Electrical and electronics engineering technicians must isolate and then identify problems for the engineering staff to work on. They need good reasoning skills to identify and fix problems. Technicians must also be able to follow a logical sequence or specific set of rules to carry out engineers’ designs, inspect designs for quality control, and put together prototypes.

Math skills. Electrical and electronics engineering technicians use math for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work.

Mechanical skills. Electronics engineering technicians in particular must be able to use handtools and soldering irons on small circuitry and electronic parts to create detailed electronic components by hand.

Observational skills. Electrical engineering technicians sometimes visit a construction site to make sure that electrical engineers’ designs are being carried out correctly. They are responsible for evaluating the project onsite and reporting problems to the engineer.

Problem-solving skills. Electrical and electronics engineering technicians create what engineers have designed and often test the designs to make sure that they work. Technicians help to resolve any problems that come up in carrying out the engineers’ designs.

Writing skills. These technicians must write reports on onsite construction, the results of testing, or problems they find when carrying out designs. Their writing must be clear and well organized so that the engineers they work with can understand the reports.

Pay

The median annual wage for electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians was $63,640 in May 2021. 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.

In May 2021, the median annual wages for electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians in the top industries in which they worked were 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

Employment of electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians is projected to show little or no change from 2021 to 2031.

Despite limited employment growth, about 11,100 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

Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians work closely with electrical and electronics engineers and computer hardware engineers. These workers are needed to support the continuing integration of computer and electronics systems, such as those found in automobiles and in various portable and household products. However, as more manual tasks performed by these technologists and technicians are automated, growth in this occupation could be limited.

For More Information

For more information about general engineering education and career resources, visit

American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)

Technology Student Association (TSA)

For more information about accredited programs, visit

ABET

For more information about certification, visit

ETA International

International Society of Automation (ISA)

National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET)

For information about working in automation, visit

Automation Federation

 

 

FAQ

Where does this information come from?

The career information above is taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook. This excellent resource for occupational data is published by the U.S. Department of Labor every two years. Truity periodically updates our site with information from the BLS database.

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