The Average Salary of an Electrical Technician
Electrical technicians, also known as electronic engineering technicians in some sectors, are responsible for developing and testing electrical and electronic equipment. This field is rather diverse, and salaries will depend largely on the industry of specialization as well as the location of the place of work. A degree-level education is often necessary for entrance to this field.
Other People Are Reading
-
National Salary Scales
-
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 154,050 people were employed in 2009 as electrical technicians or electronic engineering technicians. The average annual salary was $55,410 which equated to an average wage of $26.64 an hour. The median hourly wage and annual salary were $26.36 and $54,820. Twenty-five percent of those surveyed earned less than $42,610 a year while the top 25 percent earned $65,470 or more. The top 10 percent earned an annual salary greater than or equal to $79,660.
Salaries by Industry
-
With an annual mean wage of $75,740, the federal executive branch offered the highest salaries in 2009 according to the BLS. This was followed by the oil and gas extraction sector, $71,230, the waste treatment and disposal sector, $68,240, the natural gas distribution sector, $67,090, and the ship and boat building sector, with an average annual salary of $64,990. The biggest employer in 2009 was the architectural and engineering sector, which employed 16,220 electrical technicians at an average wage of $54,670 a year. This was followed by the semiconductor manufacturing sector, the navigational, measuring, electromedical and control instruments manufacturing sector, the federal executive branch and the postal service.
-
Salaries by State and Metropolitan Area
-
Electrical technicians in Alaska commanded the highest average annual salaries in 2009, at $77,040, according to the BLS. The District of Columbia came second, with average salaries of $73,500, followed by Hawaii with $63,550. Maryland and Nevada followed with $63,310 and $60,720 a year. The metropolitan area with the highest paid electrical engineers was Anchorage, Alaska, with $84,410. This was followed by Salinas, California, Bakersfield, California, Bremerton-Silverdale, Washington, and the Augusta-Richmond County area in Georgia and South Carolina.
Qualifications and Advancement
-
A two-year associate's degree is often the minimum qualification required for entering the field of electrical engineering. An associate's degree accredited by the Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) will ensure that any prospective entrant to this field would have an adequate knowledge of mathematics and physics. Classes in electrical circuits are required. Trainees begin carrying out simple and routine tasks, while experienced professionals are given responsibility with more advanced testing and engineering procedures.
-
References
- Photo Credit electric meter can image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com
