• Occupation Overview
• Future Growth Opportunities
• Job Description

II. Job Requirements/Prerequisites:

• Skill Requirements
• Experience Prerequisites
• Education/Training Required

• Bay Area Education/Training Resources

IV. Getting A Job:

• Employers Who Are/Will Be Hiring
• Recommended Job Search Strategy

V. Back To Career Guide Home Page

Occupation Overview

Bay Area demand for Electronics Technicians is driven by the:

• Heavy concentration of electronics firms in this area
  
• Increasing electronics content of most products and services
  
• Continuous pressure to automate manufacturing processes to reduce costs and speed product delivery to the marketplace.
  

Technicians draw sketches, prepare layouts, and build "breadboards" (prototypes) and production models. They use several types of electronics test equipment, such as digital multimeters, signal generators and oscilloscopes. They set up and run a variety of tests, analyze data and write technical reports describing their findings. The most experienced technicians tend to work in R&D (research and development).

Possible areas of specialization include digital and analog circuitry, microprocessor systems, and microwave equipment.

Trends in this field include a move toward miniaturization, greater use of clean room environments, and remote troubleshooting.

While the current economy has had a large negative impact on the number of jobs available in this occupation, the good news is that wages are increasing in this field, and the number of available jobs should increase substantially when the economy recovers. Today there is a shortage of jobs, and many companies are able to hire only on a part-time basis to fill their immediate project-based need.

Future Growth Opportunities

Opportunities for Advancement:
Sales Representative, Customer Engineer, Field Service Representative, and Supervisor.

Skills Transferable to:
Manufacturing Engineering Technician and Mechanical Engineering Technician.

Job Descriptions

Electronics Technicians work very closely with Engineers, as assistants to the Engineers.

Duties vary depending on the particular job, and can include tasks such as setting up assembly or test lines in manufacturing, estimating costs, inspecting and testing completed products, instructing production workers on assembly, and testing new products and repairing equipment at the customer's site.

Electronics Technicians apply electronic theory to design, build, test, repair and modify developmental, experimental or production electronic equipment. This work is done in industrial or commercial plants, and is used by engineering personnel in making engineering design and evaluation decisions.

Technicians usually work as part of a team, and more senior Technicians will often assist the more junior Technicians.

Entry Level: $7 - 24/ hour ($18 / hour average)

Experienced, New to Job: $7 - 35 / hour ($25 / hour average)

Experienced in Job: $9 - 55 / hour ($34 / hour average)