Engineering Techs Job Overview
Engineering techs solve technical problems by utilizing the theories and principles of engineering, science and mathematics. Engineering technicians work in research and development, manufacturing, construction, maintenance and inspection. Most engineering technicians work in a specific field.
Engineering Techs Schools and Degrees
Many private and public schools offer technical training. Many schools offer engineering technology speciality programs.
Job Requirements
Most employers prefer to hire individuals that have at least an associate degree in engineering technology. The type of technical courses required for engineering technicians depends on the specialty.
Employers usually don't require engineering techs to be certified, however, individuals with certification may have a competitive advantage.
Nature of Work
- Make modifications to electrical parts, prototypes, assemblies and systems in order to fix functional deviations
- Set up and use test equipment
- Analyze and interpret test information
- Assist engineers with product design
Engineering Techs Jobs and Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected a 5 percent employment growth from 2008 to 2018 for engineering technicians which is slower than the average for all occupations.
The major employment sectors are shown below:
- Engineering services
- Semiconductor and electronic manufacturing
- Telecommunications carriers
- Navigational, measuring, electromedical and control instruments manufacturing
- Testing laboratories
- Architectural services
- Local and state governments
Job Numbers and Growth If you add up all the engineering technicians in the country you get a total of about 82,000. There has been a low unemployment rate for workers. An unfortunate 3% of employees were without jobs in 2008. Area Job Conditions Engineering technicians appear most common in Corvallis (Oregon), Pascagoula (Mississippi), and Portsmouth (New Hampshire), and least common in Greensboro (North Carolina), Hartford (Connecticut), and New York (New York). Portsmouth (New Hampshire), Pascagoula (Mississippi), and Oakland (California) offer the highest pay. Fort Worth (Texas), Champaign (Illinois), and Fayetteville (Arkansas) offer the lowest salaries. Training and Education An associate degree is often necessary for working in the field. About 18% of engineering technicians have earned a degree. Some college, below a 4-year degree, is sufficient for 54% of workers. Employees with only a high school education represent about 27% of all. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career. Part-Time Work and Self-Employment Government statistics report that 6% of engineering technicians are employed part-time. Workers who work for themselves total about 1%.
Engineering Technicians by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings) In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation. Alabama | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Birmingham | $42,000 | 200 | -17% | | Huntsville | $54,000 | 700 | +650% | | Mobile | $55,000 | 100 | +22% |
Alaska | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Anchorage | $61,000 | 260 | +264% |
Arizona | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Phoenix | $58,000 | 620 | -29% | | Tucson | $54,000 | 200 | +18% |
Arkansas | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Fayetteville | $32,000 | 40 | -55% | | Little Rock | $57,000 | 100 | -36% |
California | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bakersfield | $66,000 | 800 | +564% | | Fresno | $50,000 | 80 | -47% | | Oakland | $75,000 | 1,030 | +115% | | Oxnard | $69,000 | 430 | +217% | | Redding | $53,000 | 50 | +81% | | Riverside | $56,000 | 780 | +31% | | Sacramento | $51,000 | 680 | +65% | | San Diego | $59,000 | 1,350 | +117% | | San Francisco | $69,000 | 610 | +31% | | San Jose | $64,000 | 1,410 | +229% | | Santa Ana | $44,000 | 1,290 | +81% | | Santa Barbara | $59,000 | 70 | -6% | | Santa Rosa | $55,000 | 160 | +95% | | Stockton | $58,000 | 30 | -69% | | Vallejo | $64,000 | 40 | -25% |
Colorado | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Boulder | $63,000 | 130 | +82% | | Colorado Springs | $59,000 | 150 | +32% | | Denver | $53,000 | 810 | +39% | | Fort Collins | $54,000 | 40 | -24% |
Connecticut | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bridgeport | $58,000 | 250 | +24% | | Hartford | $51,000 | 60 | -78% | | Norwich | $71,000 | 220 | +305% |
District of Columbia | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Washington | $67,000 | 1,210 | +12% |
Florida | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Fort Walton Beach | $50,000 | 130 | +308% | | Gainesville | $45,000 | 30 | -40% | | Jacksonville | $60,000 | 360 | +29% | | Miami | $43,000 | 230 | -50% | | Orlando | $53,000 | 280 | -43% | | Palm Bay | $49,000 | 950 | +981% | | Panama City | $57,000 | 170 | +492% | | Pensacola | $59,000 | 50 | -24% | | Tallahassee | $47,000 | 90 | +25% | | Tampa | $46,000 | 330 | -42% | | West Palm Beach | $51,000 | 130 | -48% |
Georgia | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Albany | $61,000 | 50 | +99% | | Atlanta | $50,000 | 430 | -61% | | Savannah | $53,000 | 50 | -24% |
Illinois | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Champaign | $38,000 | 60 | +49% | | Chicago | $58,000 | 1,460 | -18% | | Decatur | $79,000 | 50 | +166% | | Peoria | $50,000 | 90 | +19% | | Rockford | $52,000 | 40 | -40% | | Springfield | $61,000 | 60 | +35% |
Indiana | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bloomington | $46,000 | 140 | +389% | | Evansville | $53,000 | 60 | -23% | | Fort Wayne | $55,000 | 90 | -6% | | Gary | $54,000 | 60 | -53% | | Indianapolis | $52,000 | 340 | -18% |
Iowa | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Ames | $47,000 | 30 | +101% | | Davenport | $60,000 | 170 | +107% |
Kansas | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Wichita | $62,000 | 100 | -28% |
Kentucky | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Lexington | $45,000 | 230 | +110% | | Louisville | $45,000 | 290 | +2% |
Louisiana | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Baton Rouge | $53,000 | 240 | +42% | | Lafayette | $46,000 | 40 | -37% | | Lake Charles | $58,000 | 140 | +280% | | New Orleans | $57,000 | 540 | +129% |
Maine | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bangor | $34,000 | 30 | +13% | | Portland | $40,000 | 40 | -56% |
Maryland | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Baltimore | $61,000 | 1,530 | +152% | | Bethesda | $61,000 | 790 | +198% |
Massachusetts | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Boston | $63,000 | 510 | -37% | | Framingham | $51,000 | 100 | +39% | | Haverhill | $46,000 | 30 | -8% | | Springfield | $53,000 | 50 | -63% | | Worcester | $50,000 | 50 | -55% |
Michigan | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Ann Arbor | $54,000 | 420 | +470% | | Battle Creek | $53,000 | 130 | +563% | | Flint | $60,000 | 90 | +50% | | Grand Rapids | $50,000 | 250 | +44% | | Jackson | $48,000 | 40 | +90% | | Kalamazoo | $59,000 | 60 | +0% | | Lansing | $49,000 | 100 | +16% | | Monroe | $61,000 | 110 | +607% | | Niles | $55,000 | 40 | +56% | | Warren | $58,000 | 1,960 | +264% |
Minnesota | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Duluth | $52,000 | 40 | -28% | | Minneapolis | $59,000 | 1,270 | +52% |
Mississippi | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Gulfport | $52,000 | 100 | +113% | | Jackson | $58,000 | 30 | -74% | | Pascagoula | $75,000 | 480 | +2445% |
Missouri | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Kansas City | $65,000 | 230 | -52% | | St Louis | $56,000 | 560 | -11% |
Nebraska | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Lincoln | $43,000 | 30 | -59% | | Omaha | $57,000 | 110 | -48% |
Nevada | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Las Vegas | $55,000 | 120 | -72% | | Reno | $45,000 | 70 | -25% |
New Hampshire | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Manchester | $57,000 | 40 | -11% | | Nashua | $46,000 | 190 | +212% | | Portsmouth | $77,000 | 490 | +2023% | | Rochester | $44,000 | 40 | +72% |
New Jersey | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Camden | $54,000 | 140 | -43% | | Edison | $71,000 | 280 | -42% | | Newark | $62,000 | 430 | -8% | | Trenton | $44,000 | 30 | -69% |
New Mexico | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Albuquerque | $56,000 | 530 | +196% | | Las Cruces | $64,000 | 100 | +296% |
New York | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Albany | $54,000 | 380 | +88% | | Binghamton | $42,000 | 70 | +53% | | Buffalo | $45,000 | 180 | -28% | | Nassau | $49,000 | 140 | -76% | | New York | $51,000 | 520 | -78% | | Rochester | $45,000 | 420 | +82% | | Syracuse | $41,000 | 100 | -29% |
North Carolina | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Charlotte | $47,000 | 260 | -37% | | Durham | $53,000 | 290 | +134% | | Greensboro | $55,000 | 40 | -77% | | Raleigh | $47,000 | 60 | -75% | | Wilmington | $58,000 | 30 | -53% |
Ohio | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Akron | $50,000 | 270 | +75% | | Canton | $42,000 | 110 | +42% | | Cleveland | $57,000 | 760 | +54% | | Columbus | $47,000 | 540 | +24% | | Dayton | $40,000 | 440 | +145% | | Sandusky | $58,000 | 70 | +412% | | Toledo | $47,000 | 120 | -16% |
Oklahoma | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Oklahoma City | $60,000 | 400 | +53% | | Tulsa | $58,000 | 230 | +14% |
Oregon | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Corvallis | $61,000 | 390 | +3184% | | Eugene | $52,000 | 80 | +21% | | Portland | $51,000 | 960 | +99% |
Pennsylvania | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Allentown | $46,000 | 80 | -48% | | Harrisburg | $62,000 | 40 | -72% | | Philadelphia | $70,000 | 910 | +3% | | Pittsburgh | $51,000 | 230 | -57% |
Rhode Island | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Providence | $52,000 | 310 | +18% |
South Carolina | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Columbia | $49,000 | 90 | -44% |
Tennessee | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Chattanooga | $43,000 | 50 | -52% | | Clarksville | $67,000 | 50 | +58% | | Knoxville | $51,000 | 80 | -48% | | Memphis | $54,000 | 90 | -69% | | Nashville | $54,000 | 180 | -49% |
Texas | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Austin | $58,000 | 220 | -38% | | Beaumont | $45,000 | 100 | +44% | | Corpus Christi | $62,000 | 160 | +104% | | Dallas | $52,000 | 560 | -43% | | Fort Worth | $37,000 | 420 | +5% | | Houston | $51,000 | 1,860 | +54% | | Midland | $50,000 | 140 | +412% | | San Antonio | $49,000 | 620 | +58% | | Wichita Falls | $53,000 | 30 | +27% |
Utah | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Ogden | $62,000 | 160 | +79% |
Virginia | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Richmond | $52,000 | 90 | -68% | | Roanoke | $54,000 | 50 | -28% | | Virginia Beach | $70,000 | 1,690 | +382% |
Washington | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Seattle | $66,000 | 1,590 | +137% | | Spokane | $50,000 | 50 | -47% | | Tacoma | $58,000 | 80 | -35% | | Wenatchee | $51,000 | 30 | +91% |
West Virginia | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Charleston | $54,000 | 70 | +10% | | Wheeling | $43,000 | 40 | +53% |
Wisconsin | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Madison | $49,000 | 80 | -48% | | Milwaukee | $51,000 | 160 | -59% |
Wyoming | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Casper | $55,000 | 40 | +169% | | Cheyenne | $50,000 | 40 | +134% |
Salary and employment data obtained from the United States Department of Labor. Individual salaries depend on location, education and career background. Thanks to CityTownInfo.com for this engineering technician schools and jobs info.
Job-Hunt.org Home
|
Schools recommended for people interested in this career. Request info with quick online forms. These particular schools are noted for getting back to people fast.