Instrumentation engineering techs assist with building and maintaining different types of machinery.
Instrumentation or mechanical engineering technicians assist engineers in designing and manufacturing a variety of machinery for industrial and consumer use. The salary of an instrumentation engineering technician depends on his level of training and certification, how many years of experience he has and the industry in which he works.
Salary
Instrumentation engineering technicians earned an average of $50,700, as of May 2009, according to data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the salary scale, techs in the 10th percentile earned less than $31,630 a year, and those in the 25th percentile earned less than $38,650. The median salary was $48,970; more experienced engineering technicians in the 75th percentile earned more than $60,990 a year, and those in the 90th percentile earned more than $73,450.
Industry
The largest industry for instrumentation engineering technicians was architectural, engineering and related services, where the bureau reports the average salary was $51,010. Techs working in scientific research and development services earned an average of $54,360, and those specializing in navigational, measuring, electromedical and control instruments manufacturing earned an average of $51,320. Techs who worked with companies in aerospace product and parts manufacturing earned an average of $57,370 a year, and those in general machinery manufacturing earned an average of $49,350.
Location
The bureau names Michigan as the state with the highest concentration of employed instrumentation engineering technicians, as of 2009, offering a salary average of $51,580. Nevada was the highest-paying state, with a salary average of $60,490, followed by Delaware at $59,010. The highest-paying area in the nation for these technicians was Greensboro-High Point, North Carolina, with a salary average of $66,100, closely followed by Sacramento and Oxnard, California, both of which offered salary averages of more than $65,000 annually.
Advancement
The bureau reports that while instrumentation engineering technicians may pursue certification at several types of institutions, technical institutes offer more hands-on practice and less theory than community colleges; therefore, students who attend an engineering technology program at a community college will have a better chance if they obtain a bachelor's degree as opposed to an associate's. Instrumentation engineering technicians can also seek higher wages in more competitive industries; those working in oil and gas extraction in 2009 earned an average of $64,020, while those working in aluminum production and processing earned an average of $66,060.
Tags: earned average, engineering technicians, percentile earned, instrumentation engineering technicians, manufacturing earned, manufacturing earned average, more than
