Career
Calibration technologists and technicians
Make sure measuring instruments measure correctly.
$67,820
Median pay
+4.8%
Job growth, 2025–35
1,500
Openings a year
Associate's degree
Typical education
2 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Maintain or repair measurement devices or equipment used for calibration testing.
- Verify part dimensions or clearances using precision measuring instruments to ensure conformance to specifications.
- Conduct calibration tests to determine performance or reliability of mechanical, structural, or electromechanical equipment.
- Read blueprints, schematics, diagrams, or technical orders.
- Visually inspect equipment to detect surface defects.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Maintain or repair measurement devices or equipment used for calibration testing.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
2 years of education after high school (associate's degree), for a median of $67,820 a year and 1,500 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.0303
- Biomedical Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.0401
- Instrumentation Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.0404
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians$82,890 · +11.9%
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians$78,190 · +2.4%
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians$74,510 · +1.3%
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment$74,090 · +0.3%
- Robotics Technicians
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.