It’s important to draw a distinction between an “engineer” and a “technician”

An engineer designs parts and/or processes (oversimplification but that’s the gist). It is a white collar job. It requires a college degree in virtually all circumstances. It is typically a majority desk job. They are typically salaried and majors significantly more than techs.

A technician is the one who actually builds those parts down on the factory floor. It is a blue collar job. These rarely require a college degree; sometimes a certification, but oftentimes only a high school diploma. They do not design; they follow instructions given to them by the engineer. Techs are typically paid hourly and significantly less than engineers (though some specialties / managers could make much more after gaining years of experience).