Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Associate's degree
None
None
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Calibration technologists and technicians work in a specialized technical field with a defined national footprint and steady projected growth. With national employment of 16,000 and projected growth of 4.7%, this career combines hands-on technical work with analytical problem solving. The national median annual salary of $65,040 places it as a solid mid-level technical option, with some states and metros offering substantially higher pay. The work relies on being detail oriented, comfortable with computers and information technology, and strong in mathematics, mechanical aptitude, and critical and analytical thinking. Science knowledge, problem solving and decision making, fine motor skills, project management, and strong writing and reading abilities round out the skill profile. For people considering technical careers, related paths include aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians, other engineering technologists and technicians (except drafters), electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, chemical technicians, and mechanical engineering technologists and technicians.
The national median annual salary for calibration technologists and technicians is $65,040, with notable variation by state and metro. Among top states, Washington stands out with a median salary of $93,880, followed by California at $79,010 and Massachusetts at $75,500. New York and Colorado offer median salaries of $61,270 and $63,660, respectively. At the metro level, earning potential is even higher in certain areas. San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA reports a median salary of $101,840, and San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA reports $99,660. New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ has a median of $71,950, while Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH offer $71,570 and $77,410. Overall, salaries scale meaningfully in specific states and metros, creating opportunities for higher earnings in certain locations.
Calibration technologists and technicians have national employment of 16,000 with a projected growth rate of 4.7%. This indicates positive forward movement rather than a shrinking field. There are 1,000 annual openings, suggesting a regular flow of positions becoming available each year. The combination of existing employment, projected growth, and ongoing openings supports the idea of a stable technical career path. Growth of 4.7% is also reflected consistently in the listed top states and metro areas, indicating that this projected expansion is not limited to just one or two regions. For students and career changers, the combination of thousands of current jobs and a measurable growth rate offers a clear signal that this occupation is expected to continue needing new workers over time, rather than being static or in decline.
Location choices can make a substantial difference for calibration technologists and technicians, both in pay and concentration of opportunity. Among states, California, Massachusetts, and New York all have relatively high CareerGPS opportunity scores above 65, with California leading at 67.38 and offering a median salary of $79,010 and employment of 1,250. Washington combines a high median salary of $93,880 with a solid opportunity score of 56.29. Colorado and New York offer mid-$60,000 median salaries with opportunity scores above 55. At the metro level, opportunities stand out even more clearly. San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA and New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ both post opportunity scores above 77, with San Jose also offering a median salary above $100,000. San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA, Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV, and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH also show strong combinations of salary, employment, and opportunity scores.
The typical education for calibration technologists and technicians is an associate’s degree. This positions the role as accessible to those who complete a two-year postsecondary program rather than requiring a bachelor’s degree. Success in this occupation draws on a mix of analytical, technical, and practical skills. Being detail oriented is important, as are strong abilities with computers and information technology. Mathematics and science skills support the more technical aspects of the work, while mechanical aptitude and fine motor skills are also key. Critical and analytical thinking and problem solving and decision making help with interpreting information and reaching sound conclusions. Project management skills support organizing tasks and timelines, and strong writing and reading skills are vital for documentation and understanding technical information. Together, this combination of an associate’s degree plus a broad technical and analytical skill set defines the preparation pathway into the field.
Use CareerGPS Pro to compare markets, understand the tradeoffs, and focus on the places with the strongest potential.
