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The differences between hardware support technicians and computer 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 hardware support technician and a computer support technician. Additionally, a computer support technician has an average salary of $41,852, which is higher than the $41,832 average annual salary of a hardware support technician.
The top three skills for a hardware support technician include hardware support, technical support and customer service. The most important skills for a computer support technician are customer service, technical support, and computer support.
| Hardware Support Technician | Computer Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $41,832 | $41,852 |
| Hourly rate | $20.11 | $20.12 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 111,104 | 121,180 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A hardware support technician is an individual who deals with hardware problems and tries to provide solutions to clients' problems. As a professional, you are tasked with providing IT support to organizations and may have to work with computer hardware, servers, and computer clusters. As someone who is a hardware support technician, your job description may require you to help with the installation and maintenance of computer systems. You may also be required to provide troubleshooting solutions and repair computer hardware.
A computer support technician is responsible for diagnosing and resolving computer and network issues, identifying the source of malfunctions, and improving infrastructure to avoid downtimes and operational delays. Computer support technicians manage the efficiency of all equipment and peripherals for the computers, assist in installing components, and keeping adequate resources or alternatives for defective items. They also recommend minimal costs technology materials and create troubleshooting manuals for reference, ensuring that the network processes adhere to internal guidelines and regulations.
Hardware support technicians and computer support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hardware Support Technician | Computer Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $41,832 | $41,852 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $54,000 | Between $34,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Lompoc, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a hardware support technician and a computer support technician in terms of educational background:
| Hardware Support Technician | Computer Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between hardware support technicians' and computer support technicians' demographics:
| Hardware Support Technician | Computer Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4% | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 12.1% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 11.7% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |