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The differences between computer consultants and computer support technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a computer consultant and a computer support technician. Additionally, a computer consultant has an average salary of $94,331, which is higher than the $41,852 average annual salary of a computer support technician.
The top three skills for a computer consultant include technical support, database and linux. The most important skills for a computer support technician are customer service, technical support, and computer support.
| Computer Consultant | Computer Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $94,331 | $41,852 |
| Hourly rate | $45.35 | $20.12 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 79,263 | 121,180 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Computer Consultants assist a company's staff with computer system usage and issues. Computer consultants can be software programmers, hardware system installers, networking specialists, database specialists, and others.
A computer support technician is responsible for diagnosing and resolving computer and network issues, identifying the source of malfunctions, and improving infrastructure to avoid downtimes and operational delays. Computer support technicians manage the efficiency of all equipment and peripherals for the computers, assist in installing components, and keeping adequate resources or alternatives for defective items. They also recommend minimal costs technology materials and create troubleshooting manuals for reference, ensuring that the network processes adhere to internal guidelines and regulations.
Computer consultants and computer support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Computer Consultant | Computer Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $94,331 | $41,852 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $131,000 | Between $34,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Lompoc, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Novartis | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a computer consultant and a computer support technician in terms of educational background:
| Computer Consultant | Computer Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between computer consultants' and computer support technicians' demographics:
| Computer Consultant | Computer Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8% | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 13.2% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 11.7% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |