Architecture and Engineering · Holland code RIC

Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians

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.

Also called: Electrical Engineering Technician (Electrical Engineering Tech), Electrical Technician (Electrical Tech), Electronics Engineering Technician, Electronics Technician, Communication Technician (Communication Tech), Communications Technologist, Electronic Engineering Technician (Electronic Engineering Tech), Electronic Technician (Electronic Tech).

O*NET 17-3023.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $78,190; Middle half earn $61,610 to $97,650. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 3 of 5; Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
US employment outlook, 2024 to 2034: +1% · Slower than average; 93,700 jobs in 2024, projected 94,300. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, which groups this with similar roles as "Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians".

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Install or maintain electrical control systems, industrial automation systems, or electrical equipment, including control circuits, variable speed drives, or programmable logic controllers.
Review electrical engineering plans to ensure adherence to design specifications and compliance with applicable electrical codes and standards.
Read blueprints, wiring diagrams, schematic drawings, or engineering instructions for assembling electronics units, applying knowledge of electronic theory and components.
Specify, coordinate, or conduct quality control or quality assurance programs or procedures.
Assemble, test, or maintain circuitry or electronic components, according to engineering instructions, technical manuals, or knowledge of electronics, using hand or power tools.
Maintain system logs or manuals to document testing or operation of equipment.
Modify, maintain, or repair electronics equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning.
Procure parts and maintain inventory and related documentation.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Reading Comprehension3.9 / 5
Critical Thinking3.8 / 5
Active Listening3.4 / 5
Speaking3.4 / 5
Writing3.3 / 5
Monitoring3.3 / 5

Knowledge areas

Engineering and Technology4.5 / 5
Computers and Electronics4.0 / 5
Design4.0 / 5
English Language3.9 / 5
Mechanical3.4 / 5
Mathematics3.4 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic88
Investigative70
Artistic13
Social13
Enterprising5
Conventional67

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

electrical engineering technician · DE Elektrotechniker/Elektrotechnikerin · FR technicien électricien de la recherche scientifique/technicienne électricienne de la recherche scientifique
electronics engineering technician · DE Techniker im Bereich Elektronik/Technikerin im Bereich Elektronik · FR technicien électronicien/technicienne électronicienne
computer hardware engineering technician · DE Computer-Hardwaretechniker/Computer-Hardwaretechnikerin · FR technicien en conception électronique/technicienne en conception électronique
computer hardware test technician · DE Computer-Hardwaretester/Computer-Hardwaretesterin · FR technicien d’essais en matériel informatique/technicienne d’essais en matériel informatique
instrumentation engineering technician · DE Elektroniker Automatisierungstechnik/ Elektronikerin Automatisierungstechnik · FR technicien d’études en instrumentation-régulation/technicienne d’études en instrumentation-régulation
microelectronics engineering technician · DE Mikroelektroniktechniker/Mikroelektroniktechnikerin · FR technicien en microélectronique/technicienne en microélectronique

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Electrical and electronics technicians (3112)20,300 employed
Engineering technicians (3113)74,200 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Technicians and associate professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Technicians and associate professionals, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€50,992
Austria	€46,986
Germany	€44,473
Netherlands	€42,448
Ireland	€41,613
Sweden	€41,155
Italy	€34,882
France	€34,816
Spain	€29,757
Portugal	€18,080
Poland	€12,108

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the middle third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of +0.35. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (17-3023).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test