What Is an Electrical Engineering Technician?

Electrical engineering technicians are professionals that assist electrical engineers with designing, developing, testing and maintaining a variety of electrical and electronic products. Electronic products may range from consumer gadgets like personal computers and wireless phones to industrial machines and medical devices.

Electrical engineering technicians may find opportunities to work in a wide variety of industries, including but not limited to:

Manufacturing
Engineering services
The federal government
Health
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What Do Electrical Engineering Technicians Do?

As we mentioned, electrical engineering technicians help engineers design and develop electronic equipment by applying electronic theory and technical knowledge toward testing and evaluation of an electrical or electronic product.

Electrical engineering technicians may help engineers with drafting designs and diagrams, documenting design specifications, product testing and other manufacturing, development and deployment tests. They can work in a quality assurance capacity, running diagnostics for the products or machines to identify problems, and may also assist with repairing machines or assembling equipment.

What are Some of the Day-to-day Tasks an Electrical Engineering Technician Does?

In general, electrical engineering technicians work to build, repair and maintain the electrical products and systems within a company or organization. Depending on the industry they’re working in, day-to-day tasks for an electrical engineering technician might include:

Drafting clear design sketches under the supervision of a senior engineer
Building prototypes that are to scale and according to specifications
Inspect designs for quality control and recommend necessary changes
Diagnosing and repairing malfunctioning systems
Performing routine electronic device maintenance
Reading and interpreting blueprints and diagrams
Installing new equipment and electrical system upgrades when needed

What Skills and Knowledge Do I Need to Become an Electrical Engineering Technician?

The particular skills needed to pursue a career as an electrical engineering technician may vary depending on the company and the industry, but in general, attention to detail, strong problem-solving skills, an interest in working with electronic devices and systems and the ability to read and understand technical diagrams may come in handy for those looking to pursue a career in electrical engineering.

Electrical engineering technicians may need to have developed their skills in mathematics, engineering principles and practices, as well as their mechanical skills, just to name a few. Those preparing to pursue a career in this field may also need to develop soft skills such as communication critical thinking and adaptability.

If you’re thinking about pursuing a career as an electrical engineering technician, you may also need to get familiar with computer aided design (CAD), mathematics or optimization software that may be used in the electronics engineering field such as Autodesk, MATLAB or ETAP.

How Can I Become an Electrical Engineering Technician?

A good place to begin your journey toward becoming an electrical engineering technician is with your education. According to the BLS, electrical engineering technicians typically need an Associate Degree in Engineering Technology to pursue entry-level employment¹. Other credentials, such as industry certifications and licenses may be options to those working in the field, should they choose to pursue them.

Interested in Getting Started in the Electrical Engineering Field?

Let DeVry University’s engineering technology degrees give you hands-on experience and help you develop industry-relevant skills from knowledgeable faculty that can help you prepare to pursue a career in the electrical engineering field. Our Associate Degree in Engineering Technology can be earned in as little as 1 year and 4 months, or even more quickly with qualifying transfer credits². Plus, our engineering technology degrees are stackable, which means credits earned in our Associate Degree in Engineering Technology count toward our Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering Technology, should you decide to continue your education at DeVry³.

Classes begin every 8 weeks. Contact us today to find out more about what studying engineering technology is like at DeVry.

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¹Growth projected on a national level. Local growth will vary by location. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/electrical-and-electronics-engineering-technicians.htm#tab-1
²Not including breaks. Assumes year-round, full-time enrollment.
³At the time of application to the next credential level, an evaluation of qualifying transfer credit will occur and the most beneficial outcome will be applied.