Career Facts

Investigate MORE INFO on all professions that sound interesting. Take your time. Don't skip a step.

Job Outlook: 0% (Little or no change)

  1. Is WHAT YOU DO enjoyable?
  2. Does the WORK ENVIRONMENT feel comfortable?
  3. Are you ok with THE REQUIREMENTS?
  4. Is the PAY ENOUGH?
  5. Is the JOB OUTLOOK positive- more than 7%?
  6. Still interested? WATCH THE VIDEO
  7. RELATED OCCUPATIONS Click here to view similar jobs.
FIND A JOB and more.

What Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians Do About this section

Electrical and electronic engineering technicians
Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians help engineers design and develop computers and other electrical and electronic equipment.

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 About this section

Electrical and electronic engineering technicians
Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians build, calibrate, and repair electrical instruments or testing equipment.

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.  

How to Become an Electrical or Electronic Engineering Technologist or Technician About this section

Electrical and electronic engineering technicians
Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians typically need an associate’s degree.

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.

Important Qualities

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.

Pay About this section

Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Median annual wages, May 2021

Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians

$63,640

Drafters, engineering technicians, and mapping technicians

$60,290

Total, all occupations

$45,760

 

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 About this section

Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Percent change in employment, projected 2021-31

Total, all occupations

5%

Drafters, engineering technicians, and mapping technicians

0%

Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians

0%

 

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.

Employment projections data for electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, 2021-31
Occupational Title SOC Code Employment, 2021 Projected Employment, 2031 Change, 2021-31 Employment by Industry
Percent Numeric

SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program

Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians

17-3023 105,000 104,600 0 -400 Get data

Contacts for More Information About this section

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

O*NET

Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Video

WordPress Image Lightbox Plugin