Electronics Service Technicians

Advancement in this field depends to a large extent on the size and type of the technician's place of employment. Early advancement usually comes in the form of increased salary and less supervision in recognition of the technician's increasing skill. For a technician who works in a small shop, the only other advancement possibility may be going into business on his or her own, if the community can support another retail store or repair shop.

Persons interested in working for themselves often open up their own shops or work as freelance technicians. Freelance technicians usually operate out of their homes and perform the same services as other technicians.

In a larger store or shop, the electronics technician usually advances to a supervisory position, such as crew chief, sales supervisor, senior technician, or service or sales manager. This may involve not only scheduling and assigning work but also training new employees and arranging refresher courses and factory training in new products for experienced electronics technicians.

Technicians with strong theoretical training in electronics may go on to become technical school instructors. They may also become service representatives for manufacturers. Those employed in stores or shops that handle a wide variety of electronics sales and service work may become involved in working on more complicated equipment, from radio-frequency heating equipment to electron microscopes and computer systems. This expertise may also lead to working with engineers in designing and testing new electronic equipment.

Because the work that electronics service technicians do is similar to that done by industrial electronics technicians, some technicians transfer to the industrial electronics segment. Technicians may also become electrical or electronics engineers through additional education resulting in a bachelor of science degree in engineering.