SOC 17-3023.00

    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.

    Median pay
    $78,190
    Growth
    +2.4%
    As fast as average
    Openings a year
    8,100
    Typical education
    Associate's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $49,510
    Median
    $78,190
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $115,700
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    95,130 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians help design, build, and repair electrical components and machinery under the direction of engineering staff. This career offers a median annual pay of $78,190.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians do

    Job Zone 3: Medium preparation

    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.

    Usually vocational training, an associate degree or related experience.

    What the work is like

    People in this career spend their days working with electrical and electronic theory to build, adjust, and test circuitry, controls, and machinery. They evaluate information to ensure systems comply with standards, solve problems, and repair electronic equipment. Daily tasks require working with computers, documenting information, and communicating closely with supervisors and peers to help make engineering design decisions.

    This role is highly suited for individuals with realistic interests who enjoy hands-on work. Success in this field requires strong skills in troubleshooting, critical thinking, reading comprehension, and active listening. Technicians must have a solid foundation in engineering, technology, computers, and electronics, alongside knowledge of design, mathematics, and physics. Key work styles include attention to detail, dependability, cautiousness, and intellectual curiosity.

    How to get there

    Entering this field typically requires an associate's degree, though the job zone indicates medium preparation such as vocational training or related experience is also common. Students often major in electrical and electronic engineering technologies, industrial production technologies, electromechanical technologies, computer engineering technologies, or general engineering technologies.

    Depending on the location, some states list a license for this work. Professionals can also pursue certifications to demonstrate their skills, such as the CEDIA Certified Cabling & Infrastructure Technician credential. Other options include various Associate Electronics Technician certifications from ETA International, which cover specialties in alternating current, analog, comprehensive, digital, or direct current systems.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for these technologists and technicians was $78,190 in 2025. Earnings can vary significantly based on experience and location, with the lowest 10% earning less than $49,510 and the highest 10% earning more than $115,700.

    There are 95,130 people employed in this occupation. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to grow by 2.4%, which is as fast as the average for all occupations. Despite this modest growth rate, the field is expected to generate 8,100 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    88 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    70 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    13 / 100
    Social (S)
    13 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    5 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    67 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RIC. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    85
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    82
    Documenting/Recording Information
    81
    Getting Information
    76
    Working with Computers
    75
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    74
    Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment
    74
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    71
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    68
    Thinking Creatively
    66
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Reading Comprehension
    • Critical Thinking
    • Troubleshooting
    • Repairing
    • Active Listening
    • Speaking
    • Systems Evaluation
    • Monitoring
    • Systems Analysis
    • Writing

    Knowledge

    • Engineering and Technology
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Design
    • English Language
    • Mechanical
    • Mathematics
    • Production and Processing
    • Telecommunications
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Physics

    Abilities

    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Near Vision
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Written Comprehension
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Oral Expression
    • Information Ordering
    • Visualization
    • Written Expression

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Integrity
    • Perseverance
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Innovation
    • Adaptability
    • Cooperation

    Also called

    Applied Technologist · Certified Control Systems Technician (CCST) · Communication Technician (Communication Tech) · Communications Technologist · Control Systems Technician (Control Systems Tech) · Controls Specialist · Controls Technician (Controls Tech) · Demand Technologist · Design Technologist · Development Technologist

    Career pathway

    From your interests to electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians$78,190 median pay
    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute RPI logo
      Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute RPI

      Troy, NY · Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $90,346
      4 yrs after
      $125,531
      Median debt
      $22,125
    2. 2University of Houston-Downtown logo
      University of Houston-Downtown

      Houston, TX · Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $79,102
      4 yrs after
      $112,244
      Median debt
      Not reported
    3. 3Oregon Institute of Technology logo
      Oregon Institute of Technology

      Klamath Falls, OR · Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $77,100
      4 yrs after
      $112,169
      Median debt
      $27,000
    4. 4Brigham Young University-Idaho logo
      Brigham Young University-Idaho

      Rexburg, ID · Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $73,259
      4 yrs after
      $103,769
      Median debt
      $12,943
    5. 5Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology logo
      Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology

      Okmulgee, OK · Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $85,065
      4 yrs after
      $102,357
      Median debt
      Not reported
    6. 6Metropolitan State University of Denver logo
      Metropolitan State University of Denver

      Denver, CO · Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $84,200
      4 yrs after
      $100,358
      Median debt
      Not reported
    7. 7Texas A & M University-College Station logo
      Texas A & M University-College Station

      College Station, TX · Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $78,810
      4 yrs after
      $99,943
      Median debt
      $20,000
    8. 8
      SUNY Buffalo State

      Buffalo, NY · Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $98,018
      Median debt
      Not reported

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work. Showing 12 of 39.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Automation Engineer Technology/Technician
    • Computer Engineering Technology/Technician
    • Computer/Computer Systems Technology/Technician
    • Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician
    • Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other
    • Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
    • Integrated Circuit Design Technology/Technician
    • Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology/Technician
    • Telecommunications Technology/Technician

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    1 state lists a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Questions about electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some common job titles for this career?

    People in this field are known by many names, including Applied Technologist, Controls Specialist, and Demand Technologist. They may also be called Certified Control Systems Technicians, Communications Technologists, or Development Technologists.

    What college majors are related to this field?

    Students preparing for this career often major in electrical and electronic engineering technologies or electromechanical technologies. Other relevant majors include computer engineering technologies, industrial production technologies, and general engineering technologies.

    What certifications can a technician earn?

    Technicians can earn certifications such as the CEDIA Certified Cabling & Infrastructure Technician. They can also obtain Associate Electronics Technician certifications in specialties like direct current, alternating current, analog, digital, or comprehensive electronics.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    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. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.