Calibration Technician Salary

Bureau of Labor Statistics title: Calibration Technologists and Technicians

The median calibration technician salary in the United States is $67,820 per year ($32.61/hour). Salaries range from $46,680 at the entry level to $106,550+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 16,540 calibration technician jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 4.7% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Median Salary
$67,820
per year
Hourly Rate
$32.61
per hour
Employment
16,540
jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile
$46,680
25th percentile
$56,380
Median
$67,820
75th percentile
$92,080
90th percentile
$106,550

Job Growth (2024-2034)

+4.7%
As fast as average

Annual Openings

1,400
jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

Associate's degree

Calibration Technician Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for calibration technicians.

Calibration techs verify that measurement equipment β€” from pressure gauges to torque wrenches to high-precision electrical meters β€” reads accurately against traceable standards (usually NIST-traceable). Most calibration jobs sit inside aerospace, medical device, defense, semiconductor, or oil & gas companies, or in independent calibration labs. Employers screen hard for hands-on lab experience, ISO/IEC 17025 familiarity, and the ability to write clear calibration certificates. The role rewards patience, methodical documentation, and comfort with metrology math (uncertainty budgets, TUR/TAR).

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

Metrology fundamentals
Understanding of traceability, measurement uncertainty (GUM), Test Uncertainty Ratio (TUR), and the difference between resolution, accuracy, and precision.
ISO/IEC 17025
The gold-standard calibration lab accreditation. Employers expect you to know what a scope of accreditation is and how a cal certificate is structured.
Instrument-specific procedures
Written calibration procedures for DMMs, oscilloscopes, torque tools, pressure/vacuum gauges, dimensional (calipers, micrometers, CMMs), temperature (RTDs, thermocouples), and mass.
Uncertainty budgets
Combining Type A (statistical) and Type B (systematic) contributors into an expanded uncertainty with a coverage factor k, usually k=2 for 95%.
Calibration software (LIMS)
MET/TEAM, MUDCATS, ProCal, Beamex CMX, IndySoft, or GAGEtrak. Any two of these on a resume moves you forward.
Documentation discipline
Legible, unambiguous cal certs with as-found / as-left data, out-of-tolerance flags, and correct signatures. Audit-ready.
Hand skills + safety
ESD-safe practices, torque application, high-voltage safety, cleanroom protocols where relevant.

How to Become a Calibration Technician

  1. 1
    Get a 2-year degree or military metrology training
    AAS in Electronics, Instrumentation, or a metrology-specific program. Navy PMEL (Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory) and Air Force PMEL are the two most respected feeders.
  2. 2
    Start as a Calibration Technician I
    Entry rate is usually $22–$32/hr. You'll do dimensional, torque, and simple electrical calibrations under a senior tech's sign-off.
  3. 3
    Earn ASQ CCT
    The Certified Calibration Technician credential from ASQ. Requires ~4 years of experience but adds $5–$15k to salary offers on average.
  4. 4
    Specialize
    RF/microwave, dimensional (CMM), pressure, or temperature specialists earn 15–30% more than generalists. Aerospace and semiconductor pay top-of-market.
  5. 5
    Move into lab management or metrology engineering
    Metrology Engineer / Senior Metrologist roles cross into $100k+ with an engineering degree and 8+ years experience.

Career Progression

Calibration Technician I
0–2 yrs$45k–$62k
  • β€’Perform routine calibrations on dimensional, torque, and basic electrical instruments
  • β€’Complete calibration data sheets under senior review
  • β€’Maintain lab inventory and standards check-out logs
Next: Progression to Calibration Technician II with ~2 years experience.
Calibration Technician II
2–5 yrs$58k–$78k
  • β€’Independently calibrate DMMs, oscilloscopes, function generators, and pressure gauges
  • β€’Write calibration procedures for new instrument models
  • β€’Handle out-of-tolerance investigations and customer notifications
Next: Senior tech or specialize (RF, dimensional, pressure).
Senior / Lead Calibration Technician
5–10 yrs$72k–$95k
  • β€’Sign off on cal certificates for all instrument types
  • β€’Train junior techs, review procedures, prepare for A2LA / ANAB audits
  • β€’Own the uncertainty budgets for a family of standards
Next: Metrology Engineer or Lab Manager.
Metrology Engineer
8+ yrs$85k–$120k+
  • β€’Design measurement systems for new products or processes
  • β€’Own MSA (Measurement System Analysis) for production lines
  • β€’Interface with quality engineering, R&D, and external accreditation bodies

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 16 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. Walk me through how you'd calibrate a 6.5-digit DMM.technical
Bring the meter to lab temperature (typically 23Β°C Β± 1Β°C) for the recommended stabilization period β€” often 4 hours. Verify the reference standard (a multifunction calibrator like a Fluke 5720A or 5730A) is within its cal cycle. Perform an as-found run at each specified point in the manufacturer's procedure: DC volts (positive and negative), DC current, resistance (using 4-wire), AC volts and current at several frequencies. Record readings, compute deviations, and compare to the meter's published specs. If any point is out of tolerance, flag as-found OOT, adjust, then perform an as-left run. Compute uncertainty for each measurement using the calibrator's spec, cable/lead effects, and drift since last cal.
Q2. What's the difference between accuracy, precision, and resolution?technical
Resolution is the smallest change the instrument can display β€” a 6.5-digit DMM has resolution of 1 Β΅V on a 1V range. Precision is the repeatability of readings under unchanged conditions. Accuracy is how close the reading is to the true value, which requires traceability. A cheap meter can have high resolution and precision but poor accuracy if it hasn't been calibrated against a traceable standard.
Q3. Explain TUR and why it matters.technical
Test Uncertainty Ratio is the ratio of the tolerance being tested to the expanded uncertainty of the measurement, U. Historically the target was 4:1 β€” the standard should be four times better than the UUT. Modern practice under ILAC-G8 uses guard-banding when TUR is below 4:1 to keep false-accept risk acceptable. If you can't achieve 4:1, you either guard-band, use a better standard, or explicitly state the decision rule on the cert.
Q4. Tell me about a time you found an out-of-tolerance instrument that had been in service.behavioral
Structure your answer with STAR: describe the instrument, when it went out of tolerance (as-found reading vs. spec), how you notified quality/production, the recall analysis to identify affected product, and the corrective actions taken. Interviewers want to see disciplined OOT handling, not just technical skill.
Q5. Why do you want to work in calibration specifically?behavioral
Best answers connect to your temperament: enjoyment of methodical work, comfort with documentation, interest in the physics of measurement. Avoid saying 'I like fixing things' β€” calibration is verification, not repair. Concrete answer: 'I like that every job produces a signed, traceable answer. I did a rotation on the production floor and preferred the lab environment.'

Resume Template β€” Calibration Technician I (0–2 yrs)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Calibration Technician I (0–2 yrs)
  • β–ΈPerformed 400+ calibrations per quarter on dimensional and torque tooling with 100% audit compliance across two A2LA surveillance visits.
  • β–ΈReduced average cal turnaround from 5 to 3.2 business days by re-sequencing standards check-outs across shifts.
  • β–ΈWrote 6 new calibration procedures for legacy micrometer models missing OEM documentation.
  • β–ΈTrained 2 incoming technicians on ISO/IEC 17025 documentation requirements.

What Gets You Rejected

  • βœ—Referring to calibration as 'repair' β€” it's verification with adjustment when needed.
  • βœ—Not knowing what ISO/IEC 17025 is by name.
  • βœ—Claiming familiarity with software you've never touched β€” interviewers will ask specifics.
  • βœ—Sloppy handwriting on take-home procedure questions. Documentation is 40% of the job.
  • βœ—Unable to explain uncertainty at even a basic level (Type A vs Type B).

Salary Negotiation Levers

  • βœ“Active DoD security clearance β€” worth $8–20k premium in defense/aerospace calibration labs.
  • βœ“Multiple discipline coverage (electrical + dimensional + pressure) β€” worth 10–15% over single-discipline techs.
  • βœ“ASQ CCT certification.
  • βœ“Experience preparing for A2LA / ANAB audits successfully.
  • βœ“Willingness to work off-site at customer facilities (on-site calibration) β€” command $5–10k premium.
  • βœ“RF/microwave or CMM specialty β€” highest-paid within the field.

Calibration Technician Resume Review β€” $29

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  • βœ“ 7-day turnaround, 100% refund if we miss it

Calibration Technician Career Kit β€” $19

  • βœ“ All 16 interview questions with expert answers
  • βœ“ 10 real questions aggregated from Glassdoor, Blind, Reddit, LinkedIn
  • βœ“ Interview format intel for 5 top employers
  • βœ“ 3 copy-paste salary negotiation emails
  • βœ“ Resume bullets for every level of the career ladder
  • βœ“ 30–60–90 day plan for your first role
  • βœ“ Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
  • βœ“ Detailed salary negotiation script
  • βœ“ Ranked list of certifications with cost + ROI
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Calibration Technician Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) β†’

Salary Map β€” Click a state for details

$56K
$94Kβ–  No data

Top Paying States

Washington
$94K
+38%
Oklahoma
$81K
+19%
Louisiana
$81K
+19%
California
$79K
+16%
Vermont
$78K
+15%
New Jersey
$77K
+14%
Massachusetts
$76K
+11%
Texas
$74K
+9%
Virginia
$73K
+7%
Tennessee
$72K
+6%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
StateMedianvs. National
Washington$93,880+38.4%
Oklahoma$80,920+19.3%
Louisiana$80,670+18.9%
California$79,010+16.5%
Vermont$77,950+14.9%
New Jersey$77,040+13.6%
Massachusetts$75,500+11.3%
Texas$74,100+9.3%
Virginia$72,730+7.2%
Tennessee$71,660+5.7%
1–10 of 36

Calibration Technician Salary by Metro Area

Metro AreaMedianvs. National
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$107,220+58.1%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$101,840+50.2%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$99,660+46.9%
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX$99,400+46.6%
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$95,180+40.3%
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$86,280+27.2%
Portland-South Portland, ME$85,180+25.6%
Raleigh-Cary, NC$83,500+23.1%
New Orleans-Metairie, LA$82,100+21.1%
Baton Rouge, LA$80,670+18.9%
1–10 of 75
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
How does this compare to pro athletes?
A calibration technician earning $67,820/year would need 879 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 944 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
See all sports & celebrity salaries β†’
πŸ“ˆ See how calibration technician salaries have changed over the past decade.
View Calibration Technician salary trend (2011–2024) β†’