Electrical and electronic engineering technicians essential career information:
- 2012 median pay: $57,850
- 2012, number of jobs: 144,460
- Employment growth forecast, 2010-2020: 2 percent
- Entry level education requirements: Associate’s degree
Electrical and electronic engineering technicians; what they do:
An electrical technician career and an electronic engineering technician career attract people who enjoy inspecting, researching and solving a myriad of technical problems across a diverse digital and electronic landscape. Electrical technicians and electronic technicians should be detail oriented and have a strong ability to work well with others.
An electrical technician career and an electronic engineering technician career involve assisting engineers with designing communications equipment, computers, navigational equipment, medical devices as well as other electrical and electronic engineering equipment. An electrical technician career and an electronic technician career may also involve working in product evaluation and testing and using measuring devices to adjust and repair equipment.
Specifically, electrical technicians piece together electrical and electronic systems as well as build and repair electrical instruments or testing equipment. An electrical engineer technician career involves inspecting designs for quality control and making recommendations. An electrical engineering technician modifies and evaluates the performance of developmental parts, assemblies or systems under test conditions.
Electronic engineering technicians work under an engineer’s direction to design basic circuitry and draft sketches to explain details of design plans. Once designed, some electronic technicians assemble, test, and maintain electronic components according to engineering instructions. An electronic technician career also includes creating parts, identifying and fixing equipment problems and performing preventative maintenance on equipment.
Electrical and electronic engineering technicians job titles:
- Electrical Engineering Technician
- Refurbish Technician
- Electrical Technician
- Instrument and Controls Technician
- Electronic Technician
- Electronic Engineering Technician
- Engineering Technician
- Failure Analysis Technician
- Test Technician
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technicians Education, Certification and License Requirements
Electrical technicians and electronic engineering technicians typically need an Associate in Electronic Engineering Technology degree or an Associate in Electrical Engineering Technology degree from a vocational-technical school or community college to enter the field.
Technical institutes offer many certificates that vary in length and scope as well as accredited associate degree programs serving regional students and emphasize training needed for local companies. Community colleges provide similar programs, however they also offer more theory-based and liberal arts coursework.
Electrical and electronic engineering technicians programs cover subjects such as:
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Integrated circuits
- DC-AC electronics
- Digital fundamentals
- Electronic communications
- Electrical engineering technology
- Computer technology, structure and logic
Students may need an electrical technician or electronic technician certification from a provincial association, such as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies, obtained after two or more year’s supervised work experience.
After completing an associate’s degree program, graduates may get jobs as electrical and electronic technicians or continue their education in a related field, such as an electrical engineering technologist, at a 4-year college.
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technicians Job Outlook
Forecast: two percent employment growth from 2010 to 2020 for electrical and electronic technicians.
Some of electrical technicians and electronic technicians work in traditional manufacturing industries, many of these industries are seeing little to no growth. However, employment growth for electrical engineer and electronic engineering technicians may occur in engineering firms as companies contract out these services to reduce costs.
Computer and electronics systems are now more integrated. For example, computer and global positioning systems (GPS) technologies are included in cars as well as portable and household electronic systems. This trend will continue to increase demand for technicians in electronics.
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technicians Salary
- 2012 median annual wage: $57,850
- 2012, workers at the 75th percentile annual wage: $69,570
- 2012, workers at the 25th percentile annual wage: $44,490
Major Employers
- Architectural, engineering and related services
- Manufacturing
- Federal government (excluding postal service)
- Electric power
