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Careers›Roles›Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech)
Mid-Level

Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech)

The hands-on support engineers rely on — building and testing prototypes, running experiments, taking measurements, and turning designs into something physical that works. Where engineering ideas meet the workbench.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
R
I
C
A
E
S
Realistichands-on, practical
Investigativeanalytical, curious
Based on Holland Code framework
Industries that often hire Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech)s
Manufacturing · 40%Professional Services · 22%Government · 11%Energy & Utilities · 6%Transportation & Logistics · 5%Technology & Information · 4%
Job markets for Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech)s
Where Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech) jobs concentrate · ~400 metro areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
Engineering
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
Jump to:What it's likeCareer pathsBy the numbers

While you’re learning about the Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech) role, anything we can help you with this week?

What it's like

What it's like to be an Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech)

The work blends building, testing, and measuring — assembling prototypes, running experiments, collecting data, and troubleshooting when something doesn't behave. You work alongside engineers, often the one who finds out whether the design actually works. Much of the craft is practical problem-solving — making things run, diagnosing failures, and bridging the gap between drawing and reality.

The less glamorous part is the repetition and the careful documentation — accurate data and clean procedure matter as much as the building. The work can be physical and detail-bound, and you're often executing someone else's design rather than your own. It spans many industries, each with its own equipment and standards to learn on the job.

It tends to fit someone hands-on, precise, and genuinely curious about how things work. If you want to own the design or hate repetition, the support role may chafe. But if you like building and testing real things — and the satisfaction of being the one who makes a prototype actually run — the work tends to suit, and often opens toward fuller engineering.

What people in this role value
SupportModerate
Working ConditionsModerate
AchievementModerate
RecognitionLower
IndependenceLower
RelationshipsLower
O*NET Work Values survey
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns

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Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.

Earning potential across this track
$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
Technology & Information$117K+15%
Professional Services$103K+1%
Energy & Utilities$87K-14%
Financial Services$86K-16%
Wholesale & Distribution$74K-28%
Compared to Engineering average across all industries
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech)s (SOC 17-3023.00, 17-3026.01, 17-3027.00), not just this title · BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
Related rolesExplore Engineering →
Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech)Field Service TechnicianScientific Research AssociateProcess Control TechnicianElectrical Engineering TechnologistDesign TechnicianResearch ScientistElectronics Engineering TechnologistEquipment SpecialistLighting SpecialistTest TechnicianAutomation Design CheckerProcess TechnicianEngineering TechnologistEngineering AideLayout DesignerExperimental TechnicianInstrument TechnicianProgrammable Logic Controller Programmer (PLC Programmer)Process Engineering Technician (Process Engineering Tech)Engineering AssistantElectrical Mechanical Maintenance TechnicianCalibration and Instrumentation TechnicianInstrument MechanicBuilding Automation Technician (Building Automation Tech)+1 more

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✦ Editorial — career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.

$46K–$112K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
204K
U.S. Employment
+0.77%
10yr Growth
18K
Annual Openings

How Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech) pay & employment are changing

$77K$74K$71K$68K$65K201920202021202220232024$65K$77K
BLS OEWS May 2024 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034

Skills & Requirements

Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionReading ComprehensionWritingActive ListeningCritical ThinkingCritical ThinkingActive ListeningScience
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
Mapped SOC Codes
17-3023.0017-3026.0117-3027.00

Explore related roles

Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths

directorEngineering Director$168KdirectorElectrical Engineering Director$168KdirectorData Engineering Director$168KmidField Service Technician$60KmidScientific Research Associate$61KmidProcess Control Technician$74K
View all Engineering roles →

Common questions about what it's like to be an Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech)

What does an Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech) do?

The hands-on support engineers rely on — building and testing prototypes, running experiments, taking measurements, and turning designs into something physical that works. Where engineering ideas meet the workbench.

How much does an Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech) make?

Median pay for an Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech) is about $70K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $46K to $112K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).

What skills does an Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech) need?

Core skills for this role include Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Reading Comprehension, and Writing.

What education do you need to be an Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech)?

Most people in this role hold a bachelor's degree.

Is an Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech) in demand?

Employment in this field is projected to grow about 0.77% through 2034, with roughly 203,570 people working in it today (BLS).

What jobs are similar to an Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech)?

Closely related roles include Engineering Director, Electrical Engineering Director, and Data Engineering Director.

Career advice

Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech) career advice

Do one small thing to grow in your career this week. Pick one of these; each comes with the words to use.

  • Micro habitHelping your team see its own progress, and the people behind it.Celebrate a small win with your team
  • Simple exerciseLook back on your year, keep the receipts, and choose what the next one is for.Do a yearly career review
  • Simple exerciseSee a company the way its own people do, before you ask to join it.Understand a company before you apply
  • Simple exerciseBorrow hindsight from someone further down a path you might take.Talk to someone five years ahead of you

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More career advice

  • Find your gap to the next level
  • Run a start, stop, continue
  • Ask for your first real piece of feedback
  • Make it answerable in one reply
  • Take a break from asking for feedback
  • Compare the whole offer
  • Raise a performance concern early
  • Write your self-review from evidence

We believe careers grow through small steps taken often, more than big leaps. So we’ve collected hundreds of them for you to try.

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Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) · BLS Employment Projections · O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.

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