Electronics Tech Responsibilities

Electronics has become an integral part of our daily lives. Be it television, computer, video games, cell phones, or digital cameras, we just cannot imagine our world without them. Whether it is business, communication, or entertainment, our lives are totally dependent on it. Thus, those who have a passion for electronics can definitely handle the electronics tech responsibilities more easily.

Key Responsibilities of an Electronics Technician

Electronics tech responsibilities comprise assisting the engineers in various departments like designing, planning, developing, implementing, installing, operating, calibrating, repairing, and testing of various electronic components, partsm and systems. They need to do their work accurately, and hence, are required to be experts in their relevant field. Their role and responsibilities vary according to the type and size of the organization where they are employed. Here is a list of key responsibilities that need to be handled by an electronics technician:

1. To design, develop, and put together different parts of electronic components and build their prototypes
2. To draw rough drawings and design the basic electronic circuit diagrams under the guidance of a senior engineer in order to understand the documenting related to the design
3. To test and maintain the circuitry by applying the instructions given in the manuals and by applying the basic principles of electronics
4. To identify the discrepancies in the circuits and repair it, and again retest it by using some standard electronic testing equipment
5. To assemble and re-assemble the sub-assemblies and final assemblies, so that the system is designed as per the schematic drawings and manufacturing instructions
6. To recommend a corrective action to resolve the root cause of the electrical and mechanical issues

They inspect and test the designed system to determine the smooth operation of their product. They help in maintaining various reports related to testing, their performance, details regarding troubleshooting, and the corrective measures that need to be taken. They modify different components or prototypes to improve the operational procedures. To ensure effective operation, they conduct periodical maintenance and calibrate the systems or equipments as per the requirement. They help in recording, maintaining, and updating the data related to the testing, specifications, etc. They analyze the issues and provide immediate resolutions, so that the system can be installed and operated effectively.

Essential Skills

• An electronics technician should be have good manual dexterity, as they need to handle various tools and testing equipments
• They should have good problem solving skills and have a vision to come out with solutions that would work and are as per the engineering design
• Should have good reasoning skills and have an ability to identify the problems, so that it is time and cost effective
• They should be able to comprehend the given instructions and follow them logically in a sequence or as per the instructions given
• They should be able to monitor and supervise the work of others to ensure that the work is carried out as per the design
• They should be able to maintain and update various reports related to testing, troubleshooting, etc.

Educational Background

The minimum educational requirement to be an electronics technician is an associate degree in electronics or electrical engineering. Vocational training in a similar field may also be preferred. An additional training in circuitry, physics, microprocessors, or a course in programming like C++ would definitely prove to be an advantage.

Salary Details

The average annual salary for a technician in electronics falls in the range of $ 54,000 to $56,000. The lowest salary is close to $34,000 while the highest salary offered is near about $81,000. An experienced person who is updated with the current trends and developments in electronics would definitely get a better salary package.

Work Schedule

The technicians are mostly employed in factories, industries, laboratories, etc., where they need to apply their knowledge. Their work schedule normally includes working for thirty to forty hours per week with occasional extended work hours as per the priority of the work that needs to be completed.

Career Prospects

They work in a wide variety of industries like electronic or semiconductor manufacturing companies, engineering or architectural firms and their related services, electro-medical manufacturing, federal government, electric power generation, etc. There is, however, more scope for development of electronics tech in the field related to computer system designing.

Thus, you are now well-acquainted with the electronics tech responsibilities and the requisite skills and qualifications needed to make yourself eligible for the post of an electronics technician.