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The differences between computer support engineers 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 support engineer and a software support technician. Additionally, a software support technician has an average salary of $79,670, which is higher than the $79,531 average annual salary of a computer support engineer.
The top three skills for a computer support engineer include CAD, PCB and linux. The most important skills for a software support technician are customer service, troubleshoot, and java.
| Computer Support Engineer | Software Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $79,531 | $79,670 |
| Hourly rate | $38.24 | $38.30 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 122,786 | 117,059 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Computer support engineers and software support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Computer Support Engineer | Software Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $79,531 | $79,670 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $106,000 | Between $55,000 And $113,000 |
| Highest paying City | Mountain View, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | RSM US |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a computer support engineer and a software support technician in terms of educational background:
| Computer Support Engineer | Software Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between computer support engineers' and software support technicians' demographics:
| Computer Support Engineer | Software Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% | Male, 73.8% Female, 26.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 14.7% White, 54.4% 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% |