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The differences between computer repair technicians and software 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 repair technician and a software support technician. Additionally, a software support technician has an average salary of $79,670, 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 software support technician are customer service, troubleshoot, and java.
| Computer Repair Technician | Software Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $32,627 | $79,670 |
| Hourly rate | $15.69 | $38.30 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 109,196 | 117,059 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| 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 software support technician is responsible for resolving software application issues, diagnosing related system failures, and writing resolution reports for reference. Software support technicians must be highly-familiarized with the system's infrastructure and interface to immediately diagnose malfunctions and identify maintenance techniques to prevent the reoccurrence of downtimes and delays. They also assist the system engineers in the configuration and optimization of networks, including the installment of upgrades and patch updates. A software support technician must have excellent organizational and communication skills, especially in navigating computer tools and applications to create support tickets and fix the customers' issues efficiently.
Computer repair technicians and software support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Computer Repair Technician | Software Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $32,627 | $79,670 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $41,000 | Between $55,000 And $113,000 |
| Highest paying City | Saint Paul, MN | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Minnesota | California |
| Best paying company | Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES | RSM US |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a computer repair technician and a software support technician in terms of educational background:
| Computer Repair Technician | Software Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| 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 software support technicians' demographics:
| Computer Repair Technician | Software Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% | Male, 73.8% Female, 26.2% |
| 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, 10.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 12.4% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |