An electronic thermistor-based vacuum gauge and systems and methods of calibration and operation of the same that require no calibration against a known vacuum standard to obtain high accuracy through broad vacuum and ambient temperature ranges. Additional features of the invention include a construction and method of improving battery life, a construction and method of detecting faulty vacuum sensors, a method for determining the state of calibration of a vacuum sensor, a method of quantifying vacuum leak rates, and a method of automatically alerting an operator when an evacuation process has concluded.