What does an Electronics Technician do?

An electronics technician repairs business or household electronic products such as televisions, computers or radios. Also, electronics technicians work with engineers and help develop electronic systems, components, or products. For example, the work that electronics technicians do might involve using computer design techniques to create models so products can be analyzed for flaws dangerous for consumers. An electronics technician also does safety checks to make sure design plans are workable under various types of conditions.

Sometimes, an electronics technician can perform job tasks such as product representation, electronic device designing, and systems management. Technical sales is another area an electronics technician could pursue. Also, an electronics technician can work in various work settings such as telecommunications, aeronautics, medicine, the military, government, hospitals, engineering consulting firms, the transportation industry, manufacturers, or electrical utilities.

Typically, those who become electronics technicians have good learning ability, as they learn how to repair many different electronic products. In addition, they usually have good eyesight and color vision because they must clearly see the various parts of the electronic systems they work on. Also, they usually have good listening skills and communications skills because they have constant interaction with consumers and engineers.

As electronics technicians gain work experience, eventually they could choose to pursue supervisory positions. Or, they may plan to start their own electronics repair business. By contrast, in some cases, they may opt to go back to school to get a bachelor's degree or higher degree in engineering and spend the rest of their career working as a professional engineer.

At the beginning of their training, individuals who want to become electronics technicians typically attend an associate's degree program specializing in electrical engineering technology or electronic engineering technology. The associate's degree usually requires coursework and practicum. Also, after completion of necessary academic work, for some work positions, electronics technicians tend to seek certification.

For example, electronics technicians will usually attain certification via organizations such as the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the International Society of Certified Electronics Technicians (ISCET), or the Association of Communication and Electronics Schools International (ACES). Of note, some electronics technicians might choose to specialize in industrial electronics while others might choose to specialize in other subfields of electronics. Electronics technicians usually work for a period of two years as part of their certification.