New Electronics tech. salary question?

[EEVblog]

Back in the day,when I did the Tech Officer (Bridging ) course in the,then,Telecom Australia,it was supposed to be Diploma level.
We certainly did Calculus in that course,so I always assumed they did in the normal Diploma.

Yes, it used to be like that, but I am lead to believe that Diploma courses these days have no calculus in them, and it's been that way for a long time now.

Dave.

[vk6zgo]

Back in the day,when I did the Tech Officer (Bridging ) course in the,then,Telecom Australia,it was supposed to be Diploma level.
We certainly did Calculus in that course,so I always assumed they did in the normal Diploma.

Yes, it used to be like that, but I am lead to believe that Diploma courses these days have no calculus in them, and it's been that way for a long time now.

Dave.

Dumbed down!

[tec5c]

I am currently doing an Advanced Diploma course here in Sydney, and I can tell you that there is calculus in the course. There is a Maths 1 (core module) and a Maths 2 (elective module) and the Maths 1 involves calculus, along with other topics I did in the early years of high school ie. simple equations, trig etc

The Maths 1 module is also a part of a regular Diploma course too, although it is 'Electronic and Comms Engineering Diploma so I say that justifies having a maths subject as one of its core modules.

[etstudent]

I'm just concentrate on my course, or what is left of my course and forget about what is next. I just finished my Base number systems book, WOW complicated, but as interesting as it gets. Now I know what the ones and zeros mean in digital electronics, TOTALING fascinating, well to me anyway. Its all simple, confusing and complicated at the same time, if that makes sense. Once you work with these systems I'm sure it gets super easy, but for a beginner like myself, its confusing, but fun. I should of taken this course 15 years ago, I'd be a Master certified technician by now. This is all fun to me.

[T4P]

Base logarithm is the interesting ... but better leave it to the machines for god's sake,
we would sure be prone to make mistakes on 2^64
They do that every 100's of picoseconds in a >2GHz cycle every second ...
we take ages to do that

[etstudent]

Hey guys another question on this matter, how much does getting CETa/Associate certified electronics technician certification to gaining employment? Will employers really take notice? At least get employers to take a long hard look? My plan is to study for it the day i graduate and take the test with a few weeks or so. Thanks for the help.

[Michael Weston]

Call the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce at (609) 989-7888, explain to them you will soon be an EE graduate, and ask them to tell you the salary range you should expect.  They will know, or they are not doing the job they are paid for.

[etstudent]

The chamber of commerce would know something like  that? I thought they deal with business issues only?

[IanB]

Call the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce at (609) 989-7888, explain to them you will soon be an EE graduate, and ask them to tell you the salary range you should expect.  They will know, or they are not doing the job they are paid for.

You have to ask the right question though. The author of this thread is not going to be an EE graduate...

[Michael Weston]

The author of this thread is not going to be an EE graduate...

Oops!  I misread the originally post.  I thought I read "EE" when it was in actuality "ET".  My apologies.

In that case, call the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce at (609) 989-7888, explain to them you will soon be an Electronics Technician graduate (be sure to mention your new degree if you are getting one), and ask them to tell you the salary ranges you should expect for an Electronics Technician from entry level through highly experienced.  If you do exactly that, you will get the information you need.

The web site for the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce is:
http://www.njchamber.com

[vk6zgo]

I didn't even know the OP lived in"Joisey"

[etstudent]

Yeah no EE for me, that would be a too much for me to chew. I am thinking of going for my Associates degree in Electronics technology but that would be it for me. If I can make a decent salary as an ET, I would be happy enough. I mean if in 5 or so years I could be making 60 plus would be perfect. Everyone's definition of a "good salary" is different though. An Electronics engineer in Jersey makes big, big money, average salary is like $100,000, that is beautiful but I don't have 4 years of schooling in me, no way. Thanks again for the help.

[JohnS_AZ]

Yeah no EE for me, that would be a too much for me to chew. I am thinking of going for my Associates degree in Electronics technology but that would be it for me.

DO NOT sell yourself short. Yes, you should go toward a formal Associates Degree. That is a minimum requirement for the better technician jobs around here (or many years of experience). You will surely find a job with a certificate, but you will have much better opportunities with an Assoc. degree.

But once you have that, if you get into any reasonable sized company they are likely to have some form of tuition reimbursement. Using that, you can take one class at a time, and eventually end up with an EE. It may take many years but you'll get there, and it's worth the effort.

A few random thoughts about looking for tech jobs ...

Here in the US I never hear the phrase "Junior Engineer". Look for Engineering Technician or Engineering Assistant.

Assembly jobs can certainly suck, but they can definitely get you in the door. If the company is assembling electronics then they have technicians somewhere, and you'll be in position to snag those jobs when they pop up.

Most companies that hire engineers also have technicians, and few post technician jobs on on-line sites and some don't even print them in the paper. If you see a job posting for an EE, and the company looks cool, send a cover letter and resume to the HR department seeking a tech job. Costs nothing but a stamp to try.

Good luck and congrats on what you've accomplished so far!!

[etstudent]

Thank you JohnS_AZ, o appreciate your post very much. Great advice as well, I really do want an Associates degree, but higher that I'm not quite sure. If I could get some kind of tuition reimbursement I'd JUMP on it. I'm gonna do some serious searches here, I like what you said that where there are engineers there are techs and most likely won't post those jobs. Great advice i had not heard before, thank you.

[etstudent]

Ok here is where I am now. I am almost certain to take the AAS Electrical-mechanical systems and maintenance program. With my credits already from the ET course and some other training I have had I might have a lot of the credits done already. I might only need 23 to 30 more credits, I'm not sure exactly yet, but I could get an AAS. Just amazing to me, amazing. I was a guy that never even thought about higher education till last year and now I could be going for an associates. Electrical and mechanical maintenance is actually the route I really wanted to take. I would like to work on plant/factory equipment. Of all the jobs I check for on the internet, nothing comes up more than maintenance techs. They all start at over 20 bucks an hour too, most 25 to 30 an hour. I am really excited now, I had no idea a degree would be so accessible. 

[JohnS_AZ]

That's great! You hit one of my hot buttons. :-)

My first job was as a manufacturing tech, and over the course of 15 years ended up in manufacturing engineering. I am a HUGE proponent of manufacturing engineering, but it depends on where you interests are. When I was heading down the electronic engineering path, I was learning electronics and a little bit of software. But on the manufacturing engineering path, you learn ..

electronics, software, pneumatics, hydraulics, mechanical systems, control systems, power, plumbing, virtually every technical system in a factory. I always wanted to know how EVERYTHING worked, so it was ideal to me.

Another up side to that, in manufacturing engineering, the end product is irrelevant. Your skills will be valued by companies making circuit board, or air planes, or paper plates, or coffee cups. You'll have a LOT more oppurtunities to explore your career.

[FenderBender]

I didn't even know the OP lived in"Joisey"

For heaven sake! I live in New Jersey and not a single person says anything remotely like "joisey". God.

[vk6zgo]

I didn't even know the OP lived in"Joisey"

For heaven sake! I live in New Jersey and not a single person says anything remotely like "joisey". God.

That hit a tender spot!
I wouldn't know,not ever having been there,but it seems to be the way other Americans hear it,as it is always written like that when they are teasing you folks about your pronunciation.

Of course,in Western Australia,(or "DUBYOOAY"),we all speak clearly,& with no problems with pronunciation.

[Uncle Vernon]

Of course,in Western Australia,(or "DUBYOOAY"),we all speak clearly,& with no problems with pronunciation.

And in nothing but the clearest and most perfectly enunciated SuffAfreeken accents!

[etstudent]

Thank you JohnS_AZ, thank you. This is the direction I REALLY wanted to go. Plant/factory technician/mechanic. There are zillions of jobs in this field that are going unfilled because I think most people think of manufacturing as crappy, low paying jobs plus there are not enough trained people for these jobs. I could be on my way to something very good.

[FenderBender]

I didn't even know the OP lived in"Joisey"

For heaven sake! I live in New Jersey and not a single person says anything remotely like "joisey". God.

That hit a tender spot!
I wouldn't know,not ever having been there,but it seems to be the way other Americans hear it,as it is always written like that when they are teasing you folks about your pronunciation.

Of course,in Western Australia,(or "DUBYOOAY"),we all speak clearly,& with no problems with pronunciation.

Haha I'm only joking.

[IanB]

For heaven sake! I live in New Jersey and not a single person says anything remotely like "joisey". God.

That's because they're all old family Italian 

[etstudent]

Fun, I know, but lets get back on topic a bit? Thanks.

[FenderBender]

What other questions do you have..?

[etstudent]

Nothing in particular, I was just kidding. Making fun of NJ is easy these days, have you seen our Governor? He thinks he's a wiseguy from the Sopranos or Boardwalk empire !