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Field support technician vs computer technician

The differences between field support technicians and computer 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 field support technician and a computer technician. Additionally, a field support technician has an average salary of $42,440, which is higher than the $39,767 average annual salary of a computer technician.

The top three skills for a field support technician include customer service, user support and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a computer technician are customer service, desk support, and network printers.

Field support technician vs computer technician overview

Field Support TechnicianComputer Technician
Yearly salary$42,440$39,767
Hourly rate$20.40$19.12
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs161,03795,688
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 41%Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

What does a field support technician do?

A field service technician is working on-call to provide emergency services and test equipment devices for safety purposes and quality control. They are responsible for working with clients to prevent, troubleshoot, and repair issues. They help clients on how to install, maintain, and diagnose equipment for repair. They also present to clients how to properly use their equipment. It is also part of their job to provide training to clients in line with safety standards and regulations.

What does a computer technician do?

Computer technicians are skilled information technology professionals who handle concerns related to computers. They are responsible for assisting clients in software installations, troubleshooting needs, and repair needs. Computer technicians handle the maintenance and repair of both software and hardware of computers. They should be able to quickly pinpoint the causes of computer problems that the client encounters. They should also be able to answer the clients' computer-related inquiries and provide advice on proper computer handling. Computer technicians should have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.

Field support technician vs computer technician salary

Field support technicians and computer technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Field Support TechnicianComputer Technician
Average salary$42,440$39,767
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $62,000Between $28,000 And $55,000
Highest paying CityBridgewater, NJAlexandria, VA
Highest paying stateDelawareVirginia
Best paying companyHPThe Citadel
Best paying industryPharmaceuticalGovernment

Differences between field support technician and computer technician education

There are a few differences between a field support technician and a computer technician in terms of educational background:

Field Support TechnicianComputer Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 41%Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common majorComputer Information SystemsComputer Science
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyUniversity of Pennsylvania

Field support technician vs computer technician demographics

Here are the differences between field support technicians' and computer technicians' demographics:

Field Support TechnicianComputer Technician
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 89.5% Female, 10.5%Male, 87.0% Female, 13.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 11.1% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between field support technician and computer technician duties and responsibilities

Field support technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage and support all office computers, servers and POS machines and printers and other office equipment as needed.
  • Manage backups, replications and disaster recovery plans of company mission critical servers and database files to ensure redundancy.
  • Debug WLAN / LAN issues between PCs and/ or hand-held devices.
  • Remove and dispose hard drives from decommission PCs.
  • Fix all repairs consisting of all hardware and OS performance repairs.
  • Experience in testing SCCM for migration and imaging new systems and rebuilding existing Desktops/Laptops.
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Computer technician example responsibilities.

  • Recreate and manage company website, maintain regular updates, manage DNS servers, administrate e-mail and outlook exchange server.
  • Manage and maintain desktop security updates company-wide with no downtime of systems due to OS vulnerability exploitation.
  • Manage backups, replications and disaster recovery plans of company mission critical servers and database files to ensure redundancy.
  • Add and configure networked printers for TCP/IP printing and other peripheral equipment including video conferencing equipment.
  • Diagnose and troubleshot computer hardware and software.
  • Fix computers, do inventory of computers, run cables.
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Field support technician vs computer technician skills

Common field support technician skills
  • Customer Service, 16%
  • User Support, 8%
  • Troubleshoot, 7%
  • Software Problems, 7%
  • Computer Equipment, 6%
  • Microsoft Windows, 6%
Common computer technician skills
  • Customer Service, 13%
  • Desk Support, 8%
  • Network Printers, 6%
  • Computer System, 6%
  • Technical Support, 6%
  • Laptop Computers, 5%

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