Career: Electronics Technicians
As an electronics technician, you might service the industrial controls on a factory floor. Or you might repair missile control systems for the government. Or you could specialize in cars and trucks, installing and repairing sound and alarm systems.
Wherever your future takes you, you’ll be working with computer programs, automated systems, and, of course, electricity. Many industries today, from manufacturing to telecommunications, depend on electrical equipment -- as well as the people who keep that equipment running safely and efficiently.
Electronics technicians install, care for, and repair electronic equipment.
Did You Know?
- Electrical parts and electronic parts are two different things. Electrical parts provide power, while electronic parts provide control.
Are You Ready To...?
- Run software programs to diagnose problems
- Read schematics and manufacturers’ specifications
- Fit new automated control devices onto old manufacturing equipment
- Install new car stereos, including subwoofer, amplifier, and speakers
- Speak to customers
It Helps to Be...
Interested in new technology. As electrical systems become more advanced, you’ll need to keep up. You’ll also need excellent people skills and good eyesight, including the ability to see the differences between colors.
Make High School Count
- Do your best in science. You’ll learn the concepts behind electricity and electronics.
- Build up your language skills. You will be reading technical manuals and schematics when repairing equipment.
- Take classes in computers and electronics.
Did You Know?
- Field technicians travel to fix machinery that cannot be moved, while bench technicians do their work in a repair shop.
Outlook
Government economists expect average job growth through 2014 for electronics technicians who work on industrial equipment. That’s because businesses will probably increase their use of automated systems.
There should also be average growth for those who work on automotive electronics, since consumers continue buy new sound and alarm systems.
Compensation
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that the average yearly salary in 2006 for electronics technicians who worked with industrial equipment was $45,670.
The average yearly salary for electronics technicians who worked on cars, on the other hand, was estimated at $31,190.
