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The differences between computer repair technicians and computer support specialists 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 repair technician and a computer support specialist. Additionally, a computer support specialist has an average salary of $63,926, which is higher than the $32,627 average annual salary of a computer repair technician.
The top three skills for a computer repair technician include troubleshoot, laptop computers and computer system. The most important skills for a computer support specialist are computer support, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Computer Repair Technician | Computer Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $32,627 | $63,926 |
| Hourly rate | $15.69 | $30.73 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 109,196 | 114,029 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A computer repair technician installs, repairs, and maintains different computer equipment. Computer repair technicians repair and maintain computers and their servers. The technicians are responsible for configuring and building new hardware as well as installing and updating software packages. They have to be updated on the ever-evolving technology for certain job analysis and troubleshooting. Good computer repair technicians are investigative who are introspective, inquisitive, and intellectual. They are also methodical, logical, rational, and curious.
A Computer Support Specialist is responsible for providing the highest customer service for clients with technical and system issues, resolving network failures, and creating support tickets for IT personnel. Computer Support Specialists utilize various system tools and applications to diagnose end-users network issues and conduct immediate troubleshooting. They also help the IT staff design and improve system features and infrastructures and create instructional manuals for deliverables. A Computer Support Specialist must have excellent technical and communication skills to document customers' requests and identify system solutions.
Computer repair technicians and computer support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Computer Repair Technician | Computer Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $32,627 | $63,926 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $41,000 | Between $44,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Saint Paul, MN | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Minnesota | Washington |
| Best paying company | Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a computer repair technician and a computer support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Computer Repair Technician | Computer Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between computer repair technicians' and computer support specialists' demographics:
| Computer Repair Technician | Computer Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% | Male, 80.1% Female, 19.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 10.7% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 11.2% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |