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What is a Bench Technician?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

A bench technician is a person who maintains, repairs, and fabricates electronic components in a workshop. Bench technicians can work in a wide variety of industries related to electronics, handling both consumer electronics and electronic components used in manufacturing equipment and other industrial settings. At a minimum, a bench technician needs a high school diploma, but an associate degree from a technical school and professional certification is strongly recommended for people interested in pursuing this work as a career.

In companies that manufacture electronics, bench technicians are responsible for fabricating prototype models. These models are used for testing, further design refinements, and quality checks. Ultimately, they will be used to develop plans used in mass production of these components. Bench technicians performing this type of work must think not only about how to assemble components, but how to create components for mass production, ideally using existing equipment and technology. They can also perform maintenance and repairs on products in the company's current product lineup.

Bench technicians may be tasked with routinely checking and providing maintenance for equipment in a manufacturing facility.
Bench technicians may be tasked with routinely checking and providing maintenance for equipment in a manufacturing facility.

Other bench technicians perform maintenance and repair on electronics. These electronics professionals can work in a shop attached to an industrial facility like an airplane hanger or manufacturing facility, maintaining equipment and performing repairs as needed. In these facilities, floor technicians will perform basic tasks on the floor, but if a part needs more work, the technicians will replace it with a functioning part and send the broken part to a bench technician for inspection and repair. This avoids holdups caused by waiting for repairs on the floor.

A bench technician may need to know how to calibrate industrial equipment used in his facility.
A bench technician may need to know how to calibrate industrial equipment used in his facility.

An electronics bench technician can also work in repair of consumer electronics. Most electronics manufacturers offer warranty services to their customers, allowing people to ship components to a facility to repair for free. When components are outside their warranty, people can opt to send them to the manufacturer for servicing for a fee, taking advantage of the experience and training of the company's bench technicians. Freeland technicians can offer similar services on their own and such services are also available through bench technicians employed by consumer electronics stores.

Electronics bench technicians often gain hands-on experience during college or through an internship.
Electronics bench technicians often gain hands-on experience during college or through an internship.

This work typically takes place in well ventilated areas because bench technicians may need to solder or perform other activities that generate gases or smoke. The environment can be noisy, depending on the facility. Bench technicians need steady hands and good coordination. The work can strain the eyes, especially if technicians are not in the habit of regularly using magnifiers to help them focus on small tasks, and it is important to get in the habit of stretching periodically during the work day to avoid strain caused by sitting and leaning. Pay varies for a bench technician, depending on training and level of experience, and may come with benefits if people are working for large companies.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a PracticalAdultInsights researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a PracticalAdultInsights researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon997167

I work as a bench tech 2 for a large company. I spend my day fixing and calibrating bond-test equipment. I moonlight as a shade-tree engineer. I love my job, but there is no growth, unless you sell your soul. (to sales or fse)

Melonlity
Some of these cats have the job of more or less breaking things -- putting electronic components through various stress tests and seen how well they hold up under them. Fun stuff.
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    • Bench technicians may be tasked with routinely checking and providing maintenance for equipment in a manufacturing facility.
      By: uwimages
      Bench technicians may be tasked with routinely checking and providing maintenance for equipment in a manufacturing facility.
    • A bench technician may need to know how to calibrate industrial equipment used in his facility.
      By: Kadmy
      A bench technician may need to know how to calibrate industrial equipment used in his facility.
    • Electronics bench technicians often gain hands-on experience during college or through an internship.
      By: Lisa F. Young
      Electronics bench technicians often gain hands-on experience during college or through an internship.
    • Bench technicians may strain their eyes in the course of work.
      By: Voyagerix
      Bench technicians may strain their eyes in the course of work.