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The differences between customer support engineers and network 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 customer support engineer and a network support technician. Additionally, a customer support engineer has an average salary of $82,674, which is higher than the $48,622 average annual salary of a network support technician.
The top three skills for a customer support engineer include customer support, technical support and customer service. The most important skills for a network support technician are troubleshoot, technical support, and customer service.
| Customer Support Engineer | Network Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $82,674 | $48,622 |
| Hourly rate | $39.75 | $23.38 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 138,641 | 120,245 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A customer support engineer is responsible for providing the highest customer service by responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns and resolving their complaints regarding the technical products of the company. Customer support engineers handle escalated requests, determine technical solutions, and write resolution reports for reference. They also manage the installation and upgrades of network systems based on clients' specifications to ensure that their systems work with maximum performance. A customer support engineer must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in recommending improvements to prevent system failures and minimize customers' complaints.
A network support technician specializes in optimizing a company's information technology (IT) networks for a smooth and efficient workflow. Their responsibilities revolve around addressing issues and concerns, troubleshooting, installing systems, executing upgrades, conducting diagnostic tests, and performing corrective measures as needed. They must also coordinate with staff in developing new IT systems, evaluate existing networks for areas needing improvement, and develop protocols while adhering to the company's policies and regulations. Furthermore, as a network support technician, it is essential to maintain regular network maintenance checks to ensure the security and safety of company data.
Customer support engineers and network support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Customer Support Engineer | Network Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $82,674 | $48,622 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $114,000 | Between $38,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Troy, NY |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Nokia | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a customer support engineer and a network support technician in terms of educational background:
| Customer Support Engineer | Network Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between customer support engineers' and network support technicians' demographics:
| Customer Support Engineer | Network Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.8% Female, 14.2% | Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 15.0% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 8.7% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 9% |