Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 117,000 people employed as electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians in the United States. The median annual salary is $67,600. Entry level employees earn approximately $40,170 per year and senior employees earn approximately $99,810 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime pay, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Identify and resolve equipment malfunctions, working with manufacturers or field representatives as necessary to procure replacement parts.
• Assemble electrical systems or prototypes, using hand tools or measuring instruments.
• Review electrical engineering plans to ensure adherence to design specifications and compliance with applicable electrical codes and standards.
• Assemble, test, or maintain circuitry or electronic components, according to engineering instructions, technical manuals, or knowledge of electronics, using hand or power tools.
• Review existing electrical engineering criteria to identify necessary revisions, deletions, or amendments to outdated material.
• Maintain system logs or manuals to document testing or operation of equipment.
• Select electronics equipment, components, or systems to meet functional specifications.
• Calculate design specifications or cost, material, and resource estimates, and prepare project schedules and budgets.
• Educate equipment operators on the proper use of equipment.
• Supervise the installation or operation of electronic equipment or systems.
• Compile and maintain records documenting engineering schematics, installed equipment, installation or operational problems, resources used, repairs, or corrective action performed.
• Modify electrical prototypes, parts, assemblies, or systems to correct functional deviations.
• Integrate software or hardware components, using computer, microprocessor, or control architecture.
• Procure parts and maintain inventory and related documentation.
• Participate in training or continuing education activities to stay abreast of engineering or industry advances.
• Research equipment or component needs, sources, competitive prices, delivery times, or ongoing operational costs.
• Provide user applications or engineering support or recommendations for new or existing equipment with regard to installation, upgrades, or enhancements.
• Specify, coordinate, or conduct quality control or quality assurance programs or procedures.
• Produce electronics drawings or other graphics representing industrial control, instrumentation, sensors, or analog or digital telecommunications networks, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.
• Install or maintain electrical control systems, industrial automation systems, or electrical equipment, including control circuits, variable speed drives, or programmable logic controllers.
• Design or modify engineering schematics for electrical transmission and distribution systems or for electrical installation in residential, commercial, or industrial buildings, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.
• Interpret test information to resolve design-related problems.
• Modify, maintain, or repair electronics equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning.
• Replace defective components or parts, using hand tools and precision instruments.
• Set up and operate specialized or standard test equipment to diagnose, test, or analyze the performance of electronic components, assemblies, or systems.
• Read blueprints, wiring diagrams, schematic drawings, or engineering instructions for assembling electronics units, applying knowledge of electronic theory and components.

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