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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.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Read blueprints, wiring diagrams, schematic drawings, or engineering instructions for assembling electronics units, applying knowledge of electronic theory and components.
    • Modify electrical prototypes, parts, assemblies, or systems to correct functional deviations.
    • Assemble electrical systems or prototypes, using hand tools or measuring instruments.
    • Provide user applications or engineering support or recommendations for new or existing equipment with regard to installation, upgrades, or enhancements.
    • Assemble, test, or maintain circuitry or electronic components, according to engineering instructions, technical manuals, or knowledge of electronics, using hand or power tools.
    • 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.
    • Calculate design specifications or cost, material, and resource estimates, and prepare project schedules and budgets.
    • Interpret test information to resolve design-related problems.
    • Install or maintain electrical control systems, industrial automation systems, or electrical equipment, including control circuits, variable speed drives, or programmable logic controllers.
    • Produce electronics drawings or other graphics representing industrial control, instrumentation, sensors, or analog or digital telecommunications networks, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.
    • Procure parts and maintain inventory and related documentation.
    • Identify and resolve equipment malfunctions, working with manufacturers or field representatives as necessary to procure replacement parts.
    • Compile and maintain records documenting engineering schematics, installed equipment, installation or operational problems, resources used, repairs, or corrective action performed.
    • Research equipment or component needs, sources, competitive prices, delivery times, or ongoing operational costs.
    • Calculate design specifications or cost, material, and resource estimates, and prepare project schedules and budgets.
    • Integrate software or hardware components, using computer, microprocessor, or control architecture.
    • Assemble, test, or maintain circuitry or electronic components, according to engineering instructions, technical manuals, or knowledge of electronics, using hand or power tools.
    • Educate equipment operators on the proper use of equipment.
    • Procure parts and maintain inventory and related documentation.
    • 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.
    • Review existing electrical engineering criteria to identify necessary revisions, deletions, or amendments to outdated material.
    • Compile and maintain records documenting engineering schematics, installed equipment, installation or operational problems, resources used, repairs, or corrective action performed.
    • Design or modify engineering schematics for electrical transmission and distribution systems or for electrical installation in residential, commercial, or industrial buildings, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.
    • Maintain system logs or manuals to document testing or operation of equipment.
    • Participate in training or continuing education activities to stay abreast of engineering or industry advances.
    • Calculate design specifications or cost, material, and resource estimates, and prepare project schedules and budgets.
    • Set up and operate specialized or standard test equipment to diagnose, test, or analyze the performance of electronic components, assemblies, or systems.
    • Supervise the installation or operation of electronic equipment or systems.
    • Select electronics equipment, components, or systems to meet functional specifications.
    • Replace defective components or parts, using hand tools and precision instruments.
    • Install or maintain electrical control systems, industrial automation systems, or electrical equipment, including control circuits, variable speed drives, or programmable logic controllers.
    • Review electrical engineering plans to ensure adherence to design specifications and compliance with applicable electrical codes and standards.
    • Specify, coordinate, or conduct quality control or quality assurance programs or procedures.

    Skills

    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    Abilities

    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.

    Knowledge

    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    Education

    Education
    Associate's degree
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    No on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    84530/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    40.64/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    3,150
    Yearly Projected Openings
    350

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Cautiousness
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Integrity
    • Perseverance

    Tools

    • Adjustable widemouth pliers
    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Ammeters
    • Amplifiers
    • Antistatic wrist straps
    • Automatic soldering machine
    • Auxiliary generator
    • Binocular light compound microscopes
    • Brushless motor DC
    • Capacitance meters
    • Desktop computers
    • Diesel generators
    • Digital cameras
    • Dynamometers
    • Electronic counters
    • Electronic measuring probes
    • Frequency analyzers
    • Frequency counters or timer or dividers
    • Goggles
    • Heel grounding straps
    • Impedance meters
    • Instrument transformers
    • Integrated circuit testers
    • Laboratory mechanical convection ovens
    • Laser printers
    • Lasers
    • Level generators
    • Magnetic tools
    • Microcontrollers
    • Microprocessors
    • Milling machines
    • Multimeters
    • Network analyzers
    • Notebook computers
    • Ohmmeters
    • Oscilloscopes
    • Personal computers
    • Phase shifters
    • Phasemeters
    • Plotter printers
    • Portable data input terminals
    • Potentiometers
    • Power drills
    • Power meters
    • Power screwguns
    • Q Meters
    • Reflectometers
    • Screwdrivers
    • Signal generators
    • Soldering iron
    • Speed sensors
    • Spot welding machine
    • Stripping tools
    • Tachometers
    • Tracer or duplicating or contouring lathe
    • Variable resistors or varistors
    • Voltage or current meters
    • Wattmeters
    • Welding masks
    • Wire cutters
    • Wire lug crimping tool
    • Wire wrapping tool

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Business intelligence and data analysis software
    • Cloud-based management software
    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Development environment software
    • Document management software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Industrial control software
    • Internet browser software
    • Network connectivity terminal emulation software
    • Object or component oriented development software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Presentation software
    • Program testing software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Web platform development software
    • Word processing software