Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Median salary

$78,190

Average salary

$80,680

Employment

95,130

Projected growth

0.6% growth

Annual openings

8,400

Typical entry education

Associate's degree

What Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians Do

Apply electrical and electronic theory and related knowledge, usually under the direction of engineering staff, to design, build, repair, adjust, and modify electrical components, circuitry, controls, and machinery for subsequent evaluation and use by engineering staff in making engineering design decisions.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: None
Self-employed: 0.1%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Computers and Electronicsimportance 4.4/5
Engineering and Technologyimportance 4.4/5
English Languageimportance 3.8/5
Designimportance 3.6/5
Mathematicsimportance 3.5/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.3/5
Mechanicalimportance 3.3/5
Production and Processingimportance 3.2/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

E-Mail4.8/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7/5
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.6/5
Freedom to Make Decisions4.4/5
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.4/5
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.3/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics95% skill match
Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers94% skill match
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters93% skill match
Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers93% skill match
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers93% skill match
Avionics Technicians92% skill match
Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians92% skill match
Motorcycle Mechanics92% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Troubleshootingimportance 3.5/5
Repairingimportance 3.5/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.4/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5
Systems Analysisimportance 3.1/5
Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Operations Monitoringimportance 3.0/5
Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

AVEVA InTouch HMI
Adobe ActionScript
Agilent Advanced Design System ADS
Altera MAX
Altera Quartus II
Altium Designer
Anadigm Designer2 EDA
Analog Devices VisualDSP++

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Cautiousness
Intellectual Curiosity
Perseverance
Integrity
Achievement Orientation

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
InvestigativeHigh
ConventionalHigh
SocialLow
ArtisticLow
EnterprisingLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1Lexington Park, MD7.11× national avg
2Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL4.95× national avg
3Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA4.31× national avg
4San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA4.15× national avg
5Huntsville, AL4.00× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and RelayCareer Change
Avionics TechniciansCareer Change
Wind Turbine Service TechniciansCareer Change
Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and RepairersCareer Change

See the full career path from Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.