How to become a Business Equipment Technician

Business equipment technicians install, commission, maintain, repair and service computers, document centres, fax machines, photocopiers, cash registers and other electronic commercial and office machines. They may also undertake networking of devices.

Personal requirements for a Business Equipment Technician

Enjoy working with electrical, electronic and mechanical systems
Enjoy solving practical problems
Good hand-eye coordination
Good eyesight (may be corrected) and normal colour vision
Good communication skills
Enjoy customer service
Enjoy working with computers
Attention to detail

Education & Training for a Business Equipment Technician

To become a business equipment technician you usually have to complete an apprenticeship or traineeship. Entry requirements may vary, but employers generally require Year 10.

Duties & Tasks of a Business Equipment Technician

Business equipment technicians:

Carry out regular inspections and maintenance of machines to prevent breakdowns
Refer to manufacturers' service manuals
Talk to machine operators to assess faults
Find faults in electrical and electronic machines by using special instruments such as voltmeters, resistance meters and oscilloscopes, and repair or replace faulty parts or wiring
Reassemble equipment and test it to determine whether it is working properly
Advise users of correct operating methods to prevent breakdowns
Keep accurate records and documentation as required.

Tasks

Examining and testing machines, equipment, instruments and control systems to diagnose faults
Adjusting, repairing, and replacing worn and defective parts and wiring, and maintaining machines, equipment and instruments
Monitoring radio traffic, and transmitting and receiving voice messages
Advising users of correct operating procedures to prevent malfunctions
Applying knowledge of electrical, electronic, mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic principles in commissioning and maintaining control systems
Installing electronic instruments and control systems
Reassembling, test operating and adjusting equipment
Receiving messages by interpreting code and converting to plain language, and writing and typing messages for transmission

Working conditions for a Business Equipment Technician

Business equipment technicians work in repair workshops or travel to clients' offices. They may need to lift heavy equipment.

Employment Opportunities for a Business Equipment Technician

Business equipment technicians work for business machine and equipment manufacturing, sales, hire or service firms. They may also work for independent providers of machine maintenance service. Depending on the employing company, business equipment technicians may also enter into electronics work or other mechanical servicing occupations. They may also move to the sales side of a business machine company. Promotion to service management and training is possible, and technicians may transfer to computer servicing.

Specializations

Computer Hardware Service Technician

A computer hardware service technician installs, maintains, adjusts and repairs computer hardware and related equipment, such as disk drives, printers, visual display units, CD-ROMs, DVD drives and interfacing equipment.

Business Equipment Technician

Average age
39 years
Future Growth
Decline
Gender Share
6% female
Average full-time
43 hours
Weekly Pay
$1,348
Skill level rating
Medium skill
Unemployment
Average unemployment
Full-Time Share
81% Full-Time
Employment Size
26,000 workers
Employment by state
ACT: 2.2%
NSW: 32.2%
NT: 1.7%
QLD: 21.0%
SA: 6.0%
TAS: 1.5%
VIC: 24.4%
WA: 11.1%
Age brackets
15-19: 2.5%
20-24: 10.2%
25-34: 26.2%
35-44: 22.6%
45-54: 21.1%
55-59: 8.6%
60-64: 5.6%
65 and Over: 3.1%
Education level
Advanced Diploma/Diploma: 16.8%
Bachelor degree: 12.2%
Below Year 10: 0%
Certificate III/IV: 38%
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate: 3%
Year 10 and below: 6.6%
Year 11: 3.7%
Year 12: 19.6%
Years 11 & 10: 16.3%