Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians

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.

Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians held about 93,700 jobs in 2024. The largest employers of electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians were as follows:

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.  

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

The median annual wage for electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians was $77,180 in May 2024.

Employment of electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.

Despite limited employment growth, about 8,400 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.