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The differences between customer support technicians 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 technician and a network support technician. Additionally, a network support technician has an average salary of $48,622, which is higher than the $36,361 average annual salary of a customer support technician.
The top three skills for a customer support technician include customer service, customer support and SQL. The most important skills for a network support technician are troubleshoot, technical support, and customer service.
| Customer Support Technician | Network Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $36,361 | $48,622 |
| Hourly rate | $17.48 | $23.38 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 117,102 | 120,245 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A customer support technician is responsible for resolving customer complaints with their network issues through remote communication, providing the customers with a step-by-step procedure to fix their systems. Customer support technicians assist the customers in setting up their programs and applications, guiding them with the instructional manuals, and responding to the inquiries and concerns they have. They also escalate high-level complaints to the immediate supervisor as needed while monitoring system solutions and creating technical tickets.
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 technicians and network support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Customer Support Technician | Network Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $36,361 | $48,622 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $56,000 | Between $38,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Troy, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Adobe | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a customer support technician and a network support technician in terms of educational background:
| Customer Support Technician | Network Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between customer support technicians' and network support technicians' demographics:
| Customer Support Technician | Network Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.1% Female, 33.9% | Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.7% 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% |