Career profile
Also known as Assembler, Assembly Associate, Assembly Line Machine Operator, Assembly Line Worker, Assembly Operator, Assembly Technician, Certified Composites Technician (CCT), Manufacturing Associate, Production Line Worker, Team Assembler
Assembly Technician
Also known as Assembler, Assembly Associate, Assembly Line Machine Operator
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Interests Profile
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Realistic
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Conventional
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Enterprising
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Pay Range
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$23,470 - $52,410 (annual)
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Required Skills
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Active Listening
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Monitoring
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Quality Control Analysis
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Knowledge Areas
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Production and Processing
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Mechanical
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Public Safety and Security
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Core tasks
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Perform quality checks on products and parts.
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Review work orders and blueprints to ensure work is performed according to specifications.
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Provide assistance in the production of wiring assemblies.
What does an Assembly Technician do?
Assembly Technicians work as part of a team having responsibility for assembling an entire product or component of a product.
In addition, Assembly Technicians
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team assemblers can perform all tasks conducted by the team in the assembly process and rotate through all or most of them, rather than being assigned to a specific task on a permanent basis,
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may participate in making management decisions affecting the work,
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includes team leaders who work as part of the team.
What kind of tasks does an Assembly Technician perform regularly?
Assembly Technicians are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:
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Perform quality checks on products and parts.
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Review work orders and blueprints to ensure work is performed according to specifications.
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Rotate through all the tasks required in a particular production process.
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Determine work assignments and procedures.
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Supervise assemblers and train employees on job procedures.
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Shovel, sweep, or otherwise clean work areas.
The above responsibilities are specific to Assembly Technicians. More generally, Assembly Technicians are involved in several broader types of activities:
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Activities
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Importance |
Details |
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Getting Information
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Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
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Handling and Moving Objects
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Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
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Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
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Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
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Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
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Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
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Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
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Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
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Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Handling and Moving Objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
What is an Assembly Technician salary?
The median salary for an Assembly Technician is
$33,550,
and the average salary is
$35,980.
Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Assembly Technician salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.
Many Assembly Technicians earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors.
About 10% of Assembly Technicians earn less than $23,470 per year,
25% earn less than $27,740,
75% earn
less than $41,190, and
90% earn
less than $52,410.
Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Assembly Technicians is expected to change by -6.7%, and there should be roughly 125,200 open positions for Assembly Technicians every year.
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Median annual salary
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$33,550
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Typical salary range
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$23,470 -
$52,410
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Projected growth (2020 - 2030)
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-6.7%
What personality traits are common among Assembly Technicians?
Interests
Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.
Compared to most occupations, those who work as an Assembly Technician are usually higher in their
Realistic,
Conventional, and
Enterprising
interests.
Assembly Technicians typically have very strong
Realistic
interests. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Also,
Assembly Technicians typically have strong
Conventional
interests. Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Lastly,
Assembly Technicians typically have moderate
Enterprising
interests. Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Values
People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.
Compared to most people, those working as an Assembly Technician tend to value
Support,
Relationships, and
Working Conditions.
Most importantly,
Assembly Technicians strongly value
Support.
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.
Second,
Assembly Technicians moderately value
Relationships.
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
Lastly,
Assembly Technicians somewhat value
Working Conditions.
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions.
Psychological Demands
Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.
In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Assembly Technicians must consistently demonstrate qualities such as
attention to detail,
cooperation, and
self-control.
Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Assembly Technicians, ranked by importance:
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Demands
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Importance |
Details |
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Attention to Detail
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Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
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Cooperation
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Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
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Self-Control
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Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
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Dependability
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Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
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Initiative
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Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
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Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
What education and training do Assembly Technicians need?
Working as an Assembly Technician usually requires a high school diploma.
Assembly Technicians need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.
Educational degrees among Assembly Technicians
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16.4% did not complete
high school or secondary school
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46.1% completed
high school or secondary school
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23.0% completed
some college coursework
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7.6% earned a
Associate's degree
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5.9% earned a
Bachelor's degree
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0.8% earned a
Master's degree
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0.2% earned a
doctorate or professional degree
Knowledge and expertise required by Assembly Technicians
Assembly Technicians may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as
production and processing,
mechanical, or
public safety and security
knowledge.
The list below shows several areas in which most Assembly Technicians might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.
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Knowledge areas
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Importance |
Details |
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Production and Processing
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Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
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Mechanical
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Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
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Public Safety and Security
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Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
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Education and Training
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Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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Computers and Electronics
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Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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Production and Processing
Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Public Safety and Security
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Important Abilities needed by Assembly Technicians
Assembly Technicians must develop a particular set of
abilities
to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.
For example, Assembly Technicians need abilities such as
manual dexterity,
information ordering, and
finger dexterity
in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Assembly Technicians, ranked by their relative importance.
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Abilities
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Importance |
Details |
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Manual Dexterity
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The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
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Information Ordering
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The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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Finger Dexterity
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The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
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Near Vision
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The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
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Oral Comprehension
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The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
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The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Critical Skills needed by Assembly Technicians
Skills
are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.
Assembly Technicians frequently use skills like
active listening,
monitoring, and
quality control analysis
to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Assembly Technicians, ranked by their relative importance.
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Skills
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Importance |
Details |
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Active Listening
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Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
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Monitoring
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Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
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Quality Control Analysis
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Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
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Reading Comprehension
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Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
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Speaking
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Talking to others to convey information effectively.
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Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
What is the source of this information?
The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.
