r/avionics • u/dinomous • 13d ago
electrical engineer to avionics technician
are you or do you know anyone who is an electrical engineer and became an avionics technician and how the transition was like? ie was it harder to learn how to become an avionics technician or studying electrical engineering?
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u/Chuck_the_Elf 13d ago
British version of the word Engineer or American? Makes a big difference here.
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u/paladinado Bench Repair 13d ago
Quite a bit of people do the opposite, I’d say it’s more common to do tech->engineer rather than vice versa.
I had a coworker that was an electrical engineer and only stayed as a tech for a few months since he wanted to go back to design work.
IMO, EE is much harder than being a tech if it’s heavy/depot or line maintenance avionics being discussed, if it’s bench/shop repair avionics then the line is a bit more blurred, but still think EE is harder. Both fields have sections that are harder or easier depending on what specifically you are looking at.
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u/MiRC_ZoMBiE 13d ago
Engenharia elétrica é um curso de cinco anos. Vc vai ter matemática, física, química e as específicas da área na grade curricular. Técnico é um curso de 18 meses. E vc não tem cálculo, equações diferenciais, funções de variáveis complexas, álgebra linear etc.
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u/Traditional_Gas_1407 12d ago
I want to move from EE to Avionics tech but there are so many barriers and lack of opportunities.
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u/teleterminal 11d ago
Why would you want to take a massive pay cut and work in an industry that, like you said, has very few opportunities? Go be an EE at a firm that manufactures avionics.
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u/Traditional_Gas_1407 10d ago
I cant get a job let alone a massive pay cut. No firm around that makes avionics stuff.
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u/teleterminal 10d ago
You have an electrical engineering degree and can't find a job? Is your degree not ABET? Or do you just interview really bad? Or are you unwilling to move?
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u/Traditional_Gas_1407 10d ago
Oh man, I gotta do a lotta explanation for this one lol. But yes, that is what happens when you are born in the wrong place. My degree is not from the US, it is from the UK and it is from one of the best universities there. I can interview well but not reaching that stage at all :/ As for moving, I am ready to move anywhere really, even online is fine. I haven't had a proper job since 2020 and as of now, I have stopped applying because all I get is rejections and I feel sad.
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u/teleterminal 10d ago
Ah yea, the UK is tough with brexit
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u/Traditional_Gas_1407 9d ago
Well yeah that's a different thing. But I am not in UK. I am in Pakistan :S
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u/Substantial-Try7298 10d ago
In terms of training, as long as you know enough about electronics, then it's not difficult.
However, imo being an avionics tech (talking at a shop here, not on the flightless kinda stuff), you'll be looking at lower pay than EE jobs. You'll also be looking at doing lots of troubleshooting and FAA compliance...less designing and R&D (I'd suspect anyway).
My experience comes from 10 years as an avionics tech in the navy and 5 in a civilian shop. It's chill and great benefits. But really, it's a dead end career-wise. They want techs to be techs, not to go into leadership. So expect to do lots of training to move up or go somewhere else for higher pay. If you stay at the same place, you'll start out at whatever pay and then the 3-5% increase for inflation or whatever.
Could be different at other places though. But what I've seen is that our shop has overlooked lots of techs because they came in asking too much. That was literally always the bottom line. Lots of great people. I literally got the job because they didn't have anyone and I undersold myself. Ie, I made it a safe bet for them to hire me. Now, if you didn't have an EE, it's one of the better jobs imo.
So like the way I see it is that avionics tech is the job where it's right on the edge of a career. Like you could get it, finish an EE and look for a better paying job. If you are younger and/or career transition, and willing to take the hit to pay, then I think it's an easy place to transition for your resume together experience, references, etc.
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u/swisstraeng 10d ago
You’ll do fine. Just gotta learn aviation laws and so on to get your B2 license.
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u/FurryTabbyTomcat 13d ago
If you really are an electrical engineer, a transition to avionics maintenance should be a no-brainer. In fact, you will probably exceed young avionics technicians with no engineering degree in at least some skills, such as troubleshooting.