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Engineers vs technicians, which one do you want to become? If you are on your way to continuing your technician degree and thinking if you should continue studying to become an engineer or if you are considering which degree to do in the first place, then this post will answer all your questions. The following are the top 5 reasons why engineers are better than technicians.
1- Engineers Design The Solutions, And Technicians Implement It
Technicians and engineers work together, but there are fundamental differences in the job role. Engineers make the design which means they create a solution to the problem. Technicians apply engineers’ solutions and make sure it works. This makes engineers thinkers and innovators, and technicians followers.
2- Engineers Make More Money Than Technicians
Engineers make around $85,000 a year in the US, while technicians make $61,000. This shows a significant pay gap between both careers; read Average Engineers Salary for more detail.
However, that does not mean that engineers are always paid more than technicians.
The difference is that engineers’ jobs are highly scalable, which means they can progress to different positions throughout their careers and make a higher salary.
In contrast, technicians’ jobs are not as scalable as they do not have as many positions.
A junior engineer with 2 years of experience could be making less than a technician with 8 years of experience. However, that same engineer could have a salary raise that doubles his/her current salary in 5 years, which can surpass that of technicians in salary and hence make more money eventually.
3- Engineers Have More Career Options Than Technicians
Engineers are more in demand, and usually, they can find work much more easily. Engineers have more knowledge and can be easily trained to do different things. In fact, they can replace technicians in certain areas, for example, in mechanical engineering, where the engineer also does the technician’s job.
Drafting, working on sketches and assisting engineers with their work is what technicians usually do. Young tech startups will probably invest in engineers who can do everything instead of technicians who only know how to do a small scope of engineering work.
4- Engineers Can Become Leaders, but Technicians Can Not
The team leader usually has the most experience and knowledge. Engineers make critical decisions and possess the capability to manage their teams effectively. Technicians take orders from engineers, which is why technicians can not be leaders.
5- Engineers Have More Authority & Respect Than Technicians
If prestige and respect are important to you, then engineering is better than a technician. For many jobs and projects, technicians are as important as engineers, and nothing is possible without them. However, in the end, engineers get all the praise and glory as they are the ones who made the design and took all the risks, so they deserve respect.
5 Reasons Technicians Are Better Than Engineers
While engineers are better than technicians in most cases, there is also the advantage of being technicians that engineers do not have. The following are the top 5 reasons why technicians are better than engineers.
1- Technicians Have Fewer Student Debts Than Engineers
Yes, your student debts as an engineer are almost triple that of a technician’s student debt. You do not study as much as engineers, so you pay far fewer fees. The benefits are that you get to join the workforce much earlier, make money quickly, and pay fewer student debts.
2- Technicians Gain Experience Faster Than Engineers
Technicians study for 1 or 2 years and then become ready to join the workforce. On the other hand, engineers study for at least 4 years before joining the workforce. In those 2-3 years difference, technicians have already gained a lot of experience. This means they have more time to make money and build their careers much faster than engineers.
3- Engineering Degree Is Harder Than Technician Degree
Many engineering degree subjects are theory oriented, which means they teach you how to problem solve but without actually solving practical problems. This requires studying a lot of physics, math and science that you will probably not use 75% of. This fundamentally makes engineering a difficult degree.
While a technician degree is practical problem-solving oriented, which makes the degree more engaging and fun compared to 75% of every engineering, which is theory.
4- Experienced Technicians Are More Valued Than Engineers
Technicians make engineering design a reality. Most technicians spend their time working with engineers and implementing their solutions, so naturally, they start to think like engineers, if not better. Experienced technicians are valued more than engineers, especially when they have more hands-on experience and can think like engineers.
5- Technicians Do Not Work As Much As Engineers
Engineers, on average, work 46 hours a week, while technicians usually work 40 hours a week. This is because engineers have to do a lot of work, from design to management to meetings to implementation. Technicians, on the other hand, do not have much to do other than follow the engineer’s instructions.
Engineers are among the most overworked professionals, which is a big disadvantage of being an engineer. Find it hard to believe! Then you should read: We Asked 100 Engineers How Many Hours Do They Work? Shocking Results.
FAQ About Technicians & Engineers
What Do You Mean By Technicians?
Technicians are skilled workers trained to carry out special tasks, such as operating a machine or using specific technical skills to carry out tasks. For example, a computer technician, a mechanical technician and a rocket technician.
What Is Engineer Technician?
Engineer technicians are skilled workers who assist engineers with their designs and projects. Engineering technicians possess practical skills that help them work on more challenging engineering-oriented tasks than normal workers.
Is Technician And Engineer Technician The Same?
Technicians and engineer technicians have similar job descriptions as both are tasked with completing projects and working under the engineer’s instruction. However, engineer technicians have more technical experience and are more likely to be tasked with more challenging tasks compared to normal technicians.
Engineer technician usually has more experience in a specific area of engineering, has good attention to detail, can manage other technicians and has good knowledge of safety and regulations.
How Long Does It Take To Become A Technician?
Depending on the area you want to work in, technicians usually need to finish a 1 or 2 year diploma before working as technicians.
How Long Does It Take To Become An Engineer?
On average, it takes engineers 4 years of university study to become engineers. However, some engineering degrees take 3 years. To learn exactly how long every engineering degree takes to complete, read: How Long Does It Take To Become An Engineer? Full Guide.
Is Engineering Technician A Good Job?
Being a technician is both a challenging and fulfilling career. You get to work on different tasks and gain experience on different engineering projects. Technician engineers are paid well and do not work as many hours compared to engineers.
Can A Technician Become An Engineer?
Technicians can become engineers. Many technician degrees will offer a pathway for students to become engineers. When technicians finish a 2-year course, they can study for an extra 2 years to become engineers.
Usually, the cost and benefit of taking either choice are dependent on the person’s goal and situation.
Are Engineering Technicians Engineers?
Engineers technicians are not engineers, but both share the similar technical experience. Engineers design a solution while technicians implement the design. Technician engineers have more practical experience, and both technicians and engineers work together as a team, both essential to developing a design.
Is Being A Technician A Hard Job?
Technicians are practical problem solvers and need experience operating a machine and using specific tools. There are some challenging aspects, but usually, they get a lot of support from engineers. Overall, the job can be challenging, but there is a lot of cooperation and teamwork involved in technician work, making it more engaging than hard.
Which Is More Difficult, Engineering Or A Technician Degree?
In general engineering degree is more challenging than a technician degree because an engineering degree is longer than a technician degree and has more theory than practical problems, which require a lot of study, research and practice.
Engineer Vs Technicians – Which Is Best For You?
We have discussed the pros and cons of every degree. In conclusion, if you want a more challenging but fulfilling career, then engineering is for you. But a technician is for you if you want to earn money as quickly as possible and work-life balance is very important to you.
If you decide to become an engineer, I encourage you to check our free guide on choosing an engineering degree: What Engineering Degree Should I Do? Make A Choice Now.
