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The differences between client service technicians and hardware technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a client service technician, becoming a hardware technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a client service technician has an average salary of $48,433, which is higher than the $47,851 average annual salary of a hardware technician.
The top three skills for a client service technician include customer service, troubleshoot and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a hardware technician are customer service, technical support, and network printers.
| Client Service Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $48,433 | $47,851 |
| Hourly rate | $23.29 | $23.01 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 136,761 | 85,174 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
A client service technician visits the clients' locations to fix problematic equipment or complex machines that they find hard to move because of their connections with other outer systems or their sizes. Besides assisting clients and answering phone inquiries, client service technicians also install and test machinery, equipment, and products and guide customers to use the product correctly. They identify issues and evaluate the available data by using various diagnostic tools.
A hardware technician is typically in charge of providing technical support to clients or employees, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. In a company setting, a hardware technician is responsible for performing initial assessments on computer hardware, troubleshooting, diagnosing problems, and providing step by step solutions to solve the issues. They may also perform corrective repairs on problems and conduct regular maintenance checks to ensure the quality of equipment. Furthermore, as a hardware technician, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with staff for a smooth and efficient workflow.
Client service technicians and hardware technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Client Service Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Average salary | $48,433 | $47,851 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $90,000 | Between $32,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Delaware |
| Best paying company | - | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a client service technician and a hardware technician in terms of educational background:
| Client Service Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | - | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between client service technicians' and hardware technicians' demographics:
| Client Service Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.6% Female, 38.4% | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 1.7% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 12.0% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 1% | 11% |