Thinking about some of the people I've known who have worked in these roles, I wonder if the dichotomy between engineer and technician can be better described a

Thinking about some of the people I've known who have worked in these roles, I wonder if the dichotomy between engineer and technician can be better described as theoretical vs. practical and design vs. maintenance. Also, some engineers only have 2 year degrees, the same as many technicians. But the content of the education is different: very broadly speaking, breaking along theoretical vs. practical lines, with some crossover.