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Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other
This job is the hands-on bridge between engineers and the equipment that proves a design works. One day you may be calibrating lasers or oscilloscopes, and the next you’re running non-destructive tests or recording photonics data. The tradeoff is that the work is precise and technical, but much of it is tied to a lab, test floor, or production site rather than a remote desk.
Also known as Engineering TechnicianEngineering TechnologistTest TechnicianQuality Control TechnicianEngineering Lab Technician
Median Salary
$77,390
Mean $79,740
U.S. Workforce
~64K
5.7K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+1.5%
67.3K to 68.3K
Entry Education
Associate's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other sits in the Technology category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~64K workers, with a median annual pay of $77,390 and roughly 5.7K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 67.3 K in 2024 to 68.3K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with High school diploma, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Engineering Assistant and can progress toward Lead Technical Specialist. High-value skills usually include Quality Control Analysis, Calibration & Metrology Tools, and Monitoring Systems & Test Equipment, paired with soft skills such as Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, and Critical Thinking.
Core Responsibilities
- Keep test equipment working by adjusting, cleaning, and checking instruments like lasers, microscopes, oscilloscopes, and power meters.
- Help engineers build and refine new products, tools, fixtures, and production processes.
- Set up photonics experiments with scientists or engineers and record the results.
- Run inspections that look for cracks, leaks, or other hidden flaws in parts and materials.
Keep exploring: more Technology careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Keep test equipment working by adjusting, cleaning, and checking instruments like lasers, microscopes, oscilloscopes, and power meters.
02 Help engineers build and refine new products, tools, fixtures, and production processes.
03 Set up photonics experiments with scientists or engineers and record the results.
04 Run inspections that look for cracks, leaks, or other hidden flaws in parts and materials.
05 Try out or document testing methods such as infrared checks, acoustic testing, or liquid dye inspections.
06 Write up calibration steps, test procedures, and final results so others can repeat the work.
Industries That Hire
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Semiconductor & Electronics
Intel, Micron, Texas Instruments
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Medical Devices
Medtronic, Abbott, Boston Scientific
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Industrial Equipment & Manufacturing
Honeywell, Siemens, Emerson
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Optical Communications & Photonics
Corning, Lumentum, Coherent
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is solid for a technician-style role, with a mean annual wage of $79,740 and a median of $77,390.
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You can often enter the field without prior experience; BLS lists no work experience and no on-the-job training as typical.
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The work is varied and hands-on, ranging from equipment calibration to experiments and defect testing.
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There are still plenty of openings, with about 5.7 thousand annual job openings projected.
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Specialized skills in photonics, calibration, and nondestructive testing can make you valuable in aerospace, medical, and manufacturing settings.
Challenges
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Growth is very slow at 1.5% over the 2024-2034 period, so this is not a field with rapid expansion.
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The occupation is a broad catch-all category, which can make job duties and career paths uneven from one employer to the next.
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Most of the work has to be done on site with equipment, so remote work is rare and scheduling can depend on lab or production needs.
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The job can be repetitive and detail-heavy, especially when you are inspecting parts, recording data, and checking compliance with standards.
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Automation and better testing software may reduce some routine inspection and measurement tasks over time, which can limit long-term growth for the simplest parts of the job.
Career Progression
Engineering Assistant
0-2 years
$45K-$60K
You help set up equipment, gather data, and learn the testing routines while more experienced staff handle the hardest troubleshooting.
Engineering Technologist and Technician
2-5 years
$61K-$84K
You run tests, calibrate tools, check quality, and document results with enough independence to support engineers directly.
Senior Engineering Technician THIS ROLE
5-9 years
$85K-$108K
You take on more complex testing, solve equipment problems, and help train newer technicians on methods and standards.
Lead Technical Specialist
9+ years
$109K-$138K
You oversee difficult test work, approve procedures, and act as the main technical resource for a lab, plant, or project team.
Education Paths
High school diploma
This is the most common education level in the O*NET data, held by 47.73% of workers, so some employers hire people who can learn the job through strong hands-on ability and careful work.
Associate's degree
This is the BLS typical entry route, and 25.0% of workers report this level of education, making it the most common formal pathway for people who want a head start in technical labs or testing.
Post-secondary certificate or NDT credential
A certificate path is a practical alternative, and 6.82% of workers report a post-secondary certificate; industry credentials in nondestructive testing, optics, or calibration can help candidates move into specialized test work.
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is less common at 9.1%, but it can help for more specialized testing, product development, or future moves into engineering support roles.
Key Skills
Technical
Quality Control Analysis 66%
Calibration & Metrology Tools 61%
Monitoring Systems & Test Equipment 59%
Operations Monitoring 59%
Non-Destructive Testing Methods (Dye Penetrant, Thermal & Leak Testing) 57%
Oscilloscopes, Lasers & Photonics Test Equipment 55%
Data Logging & Test Documentation Software 53%
Microscopes, Beam Analyzers & Power Meters 51%
Soft Skills
Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningCritical ThinkingWritingActive LearningAttention to Detail Job Outlook and Trends
+1.5%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
5.7K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 67.3K to 68.3 K over the next decade, representing 1.5% growth. Around 5.7 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.