In terms of wage, locality and industry play a significant role. For example, around here (Jacksonville, FL), avionics flightline and backshop technicians are amongst the highest paid positions in the city for individuals without degrees, commanding $25.20 for entry-level and capping at $29.40 for the most experienced, with incentives to boot. This is atypical and there are a lot of caveats, e.g. positions aren't open to anyone who meets basic qualifications, and are competitively filled from within. Reference WG-13 pay scale:
http://www.cpms.osd.mil/wage/scheds/af/survey-sch/030/030R-06Mar2012.htmlRecently, I separated from the military and completed a proper EE degree from a reputable research university around the same time. I had some time to kill, so I decided to test the civilian employment waters for shits and grins; the military structure was the only thing I knew before then.
I interviewed with a telecomm company for a bench tech position at one of their field service offices, but I didn't disclose that I had an EE degree. The position required a minimum 10 years experience (which I just barely met), and I went through 3 interviews with a 4-page written test riddled with trick questions (aced), in-lab practical test (aced), and theoretical drill-down largely pertaining to modulation schemes and circuit topology identification (aced). In the 3rd interview, I was told that not only would I have to repair my fair share of fiber optic and RF devices, but I would also have to teach less experienced techs (all techs were 40+ years old; I'm 28), and reverse engineer/document devices that no one else could figure out...for $14.50/hr, no performance appraisal system implemented, and no prospect of upward mobility. I wasn't serious about the position anyways, so I didn't have any qualms about pissing all over the hiring manager's (a veteran tech turned manager) corn flakes in a respectful manner for his unrealistic expectations and lowball wage. Needless to say, I walked out and never told them that I was an EE. I also didn't tell him that I had already secured an EE design position that paid more than double his offer as entry-level salary with a ton more benefits and lots of room for performance-dependent upward mobility in a company that apparently has their shit together.
I tested the waters more with another bench tech position in the aviation industry with a large, well-known private corporation. This time, I disclosed my EE qualifications to see how that would leverage. Ironically, they sent me an e-mail back saying that I wasn't being considered for the position. WTF??
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In terms of entry-level expectations, know your fundamental theory, be proficient with common lab equipment, express a desire to learn, and show a willingness to adapt. The more knowledge you have going in, the better your prospects of success. You'll learn just about everything you need to learn on the job, but professionals distinguish themselves by taking the initiative.
I recommend looking at sites like salary.com to get an idea of what entry-level positions like yours make. Make sure you do a shit ton of research before you step into that interview and be prepared to back your claims up without any fluff. Private industry will lowball you any opportunity they get, viz. you show weakness in fundamentals, lack of confidence, or inability to negotiate. Spend a lot of time preparing a single-page cover letter and single-page resume; to put "a lot" into perspective, it took me 2 days to put together a rough working draft, and I continued to modify it here and there over a 3 month period.