---
title: "Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologist and Technician"
description: "Apply electrical and electronic theory and related knowledge, usually under the direction of engineering staff, to design, build, repair, adjust, and…"
canonical: "https://nuecareer.com/careers/electrical-and-electronic-engineering-technologist-and-technician"
last-updated: "2026-10-09T10:57:55.138Z"
---

# Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologist and Technician

**Category:** Architecture and Engineering · **SOC code:** 17-3023 · **O\*NET-SOC code:** 17-3023.00

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 advertised as: Communication Technician (Communication Tech); Communications Technologist; Electrical Engineering Technician (Electrical Engineering Tech); Electrical Technician (Electrical Tech); Electronic Engineering Technician (Electronic Engineering Tech); Electronic Technician (Electronic Tech); Electronics Engineering Technician; Electronics Technician.

## At a glance

- **Median annual wage:** $78,190 (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- **Median hourly wage:** $37.59/hr
- **Wage range (10th–90th percentile):** $49,510 to $115,700, with the middle half between $61,610 and $97,650
- **Total US employment:** 95,130
- **Typical entry education:** Associate's
- **Preparation required:** Some preparation — O\*NET rates this "Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed"
- **Projected growth:** +2.4% over 2025–2035 (BLS EP, 2025–2035)
- **Annual job openings:** 8,100 openings a year
- **AI-resilience score:** 37/100 — a NueCareer heuristic over O\*NET work activities and context, not a BLS or O\*NET figure

## Pay

National wage distribution, BLS OEWS, May 2025, across 95,130 US jobs.

| Percentile | Annual wage |
| --- | --- |
| 10th | $49,510 |
| 25th | $61,610 |
| 50th (median) | $78,190 |
| 75th | $97,650 |
| 90th | $115,700 |
| Mean (average) | $80,680 |

### Pay by state

The 15 highest-paying states, by median annual wage. The cost-of-living-adjusted column divides the state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, so the columns answer different questions: the first is what the job pays there, the second is what that pay buys there.

| State | Median annual wage | Cost-of-living adjusted | Employment |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| WY | $99,840 | $107,713 | 200 |
| RI | $98,600 | $96,402 | 290 |
| DC | $97,620 | $88,825 | 240 |
| HI | $96,200 | $87,494 | 460 |
| NM | $96,070 | $104,184 | 1,000 |
| MD | $95,830 | $91,302 | 2,170 |
| WA | $93,930 | $87,774 | 2,540 |
| AK | $92,760 | $90,622 | 230 |
| NV | $88,160 | $88,179 | 1,140 |
| CA | $86,090 | $77,755 | 13,450 |
| IL | $85,510 | $85,546 | 1,980 |
| NJ | $85,510 | $78,590 | 2,250 |
| WV | $85,440 | $95,467 | 300 |
| ME | $83,440 | $85,976 | 270 |
| LA | $82,990 | $94,086 | 1,000 |

38 more states with published wage data are omitted here. The full table for all 53 states is at https://nuecareer.com/careers/electrical-and-electronic-engineering-technologist-and-technician/salary-by-state, or as JSON at https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/electrical-and-electronic-engineering-technologist-and-technician.

## Outlook

BLS projects employment to move from 96,900 in the 2025–2035 base year to 99,200 by the end of the cycle — a gain of 2,300 jobs, or +2.4%. Slower than average: 2.4% against 3.5% projected for all occupations over the same cycle. About 8,100 openings a year are expected on average, counting openings from growth as well as from workers leaving the occupation permanently. Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035.

## How to get in

- **Typical entry education:** Associate's degree (BLS Employment Projections).
- **Preparation level:** Some preparation — O\*NET's preparation band for this occupation is "Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed".
- **Related work experience typically required:** None.
- **Typical on-the-job training:** None.

## What the work involves

- Read blueprints, wiring diagrams, schematic drawings, or engineering instructions for assembling electronics units, applying knowledge of electronic theory and components.
- Participate in training or continuing education activities to stay abreast of engineering or industry advances.
- Modify, maintain, or repair electronics equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning.
- Assemble, test, or maintain circuitry or electronic components, according to engineering instructions, technical manuals, or knowledge of electronics, using hand or power tools.
- Compile and maintain records documenting engineering schematics, installed equipment, installation or operational problems, resources used, repairs, or corrective action performed.
- Review electrical engineering plans to ensure adherence to design specifications and compliance with applicable electrical codes and standards.
- Identify and resolve equipment malfunctions, working with manufacturers or field representatives as necessary to procure replacement parts.
- Supervise the installation or operation of electronic equipment or systems.

## Skills and knowledge

### Essential skills

- Reading Comprehension — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Critical Thinking — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Listening — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Speaking — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Writing — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Monitoring — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Learning — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Mathematics — importance 2.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Transferable skills

These are the skills that carry into other occupations, and they drive the related-occupation and career-change rankings on this site.

- Troubleshooting — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Repairing — importance 3.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Systems Evaluation — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Systems Analysis — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Complex Problem Solving — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Operations Monitoring — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Equipment Maintenance — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Quality Control Analysis — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Knowledge areas

- Engineering and Technology — importance 4.5 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Computers and Electronics — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Design — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- English Language — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Mechanical — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Mathematics — importance 3.4 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Abilities

- Deductive Reasoning — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Near Vision — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Oral Comprehension — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Written Comprehension — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Problem Sensitivity — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Oral Expression — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

## Who it suits

O\*NET rates every occupation on the six Holland (RIASEC) interest areas, on a 1–7 scale. This occupation's strongest areas are Realistic (R), Investigative (I), Conventional (C).

| Interest area | Score (1–7) |
| --- | --- |
| R — Realistic | 6.26 |
| I — Investigative | 5.20 |
| C — Conventional | 5.00 |
| S — Social | 1.78 |
| A — Artistic | 1.76 |
| E — Enterprising | 1.31 |

### Personality fit

These scores are **derived by NueCareer**, not published by any government agency: they are cosine similarities between a personality type's trait profile and this occupation's O\*NET interest and work-style ratings, expressed 0–100. Treat them as a starting point for exploration, not as evidence that a type belongs in a job.

| Type | Fit score (0–100) |
| --- | --- |
| ISTJ | 92.2 |
| ISTP | 83.1 |
| INTJ | 78.9 |
| ISFJ | 71.2 |
| ESTJ | 67.2 |

Best-fitting types: ISTJ. The bank also flags this occupation as introvert-friendly, meaning O\*NET work-context ratings put it low on public contact and performing for the public.

## Related occupations

O\*NET's primary related occupations, in its own ranked order.

- [Calibration Technologist and Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/calibration-technologist-and-technician) — median $67,820
- [Electronics Engineer, Except Computer](https://nuecareer.com/careers/electronics-engineer) — median $130,220
- [Mechanical Engineering Technologist and Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/mechanical-engineering-technologist-and-technician) — median $74,510
- [Electrical and Electronics Repairer, Commercial and Industrial Equipment](https://nuecareer.com/careers/electrical-and-electronics-repairer-commercial-and-industrial-equipment) — median $74,090
- [Robotics Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/robotics-technician) — median $73,900
- [Electrical and Electronics Installer and Repairer, Transportation Equipment](https://nuecareer.com/careers/electrical-and-electronics-installer-and-repairer-transportation-equipment) — median $84,890
- [Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologist and Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/electro-mechanical-and-mechatronics-technologist-and-technician) — median $73,900
- [Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologist and Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/aerospace-engineering-and-operations-technologist-and-technician) — median $82,890
- [Electromechanical Equipment Assembler](https://nuecareer.com/careers/electromechanical-equipment-assembler) — median $45,930
- [Industrial Engineering Technologist and Technician](https://nuecareer.com/careers/industrial-engineering-technologist-and-technician) — median $66,120

## Sources

- **O\*NET** — O\*NET 31.0 Database, August 2026. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS OEWS** — BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS EP** — BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2, 2025–2035. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **BLS OOH** — BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/
- **BEA RPP** — BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024. https://www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area

---

This bank includes information from the O\*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. NueCareer has transformed the data by joining it to BLS wage and projection data and deriving facet, personality-fit and AI-resilience scores. BLS and BEA data are public domain (17 U.S.C. §105).

O\*NET content is used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). How these figures are sourced and derived: https://nuecareer.com/careers/methodology

JSON representation of this page: https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/electrical-and-electronic-engineering-technologist-and-technician