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The differences between hardware technicians and desktop 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 technician and a desktop support technician. Additionally, a hardware technician has an average salary of $47,851, which is higher than the $41,792 average annual salary of a desktop support technician.
The top three skills for a hardware technician include customer service, technical support and network printers. The most important skills for a desktop support technician are customer service, desktop support, and troubleshoot.
| Hardware Technician | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $47,851 | $41,792 |
| Hourly rate | $23.01 | $20.09 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 85,174 | 108,944 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 1 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A hardware technician is typically in charge of providing technical support to clients or employees, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. In a company setting, a hardware technician is responsible for performing initial assessments on computer hardware, troubleshooting, diagnosing problems, and providing step by step solutions to solve the issues. They may also perform corrective repairs on problems and conduct regular maintenance checks to ensure the quality of equipment. Furthermore, as a hardware technician, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with staff for a smooth and efficient workflow.
A desktop support technician is responsible for troubleshooting defective computer systems, affecting its performance and efficiency. Desktop support technicians must be highly familiar with the technology systems and programming codes to navigate system applications and locate the discrepancy of the system. They keep documentation of the ticket issue and the resolution for reference and quality improvement. A desktop support technician also configures and updates computer systems and networks for better optimization, as well as conducting regular inspections and monitoring the efficiency of installed programs and patches.
Hardware technicians and desktop support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hardware Technician | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $47,851 | $41,792 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $71,000 | Between $32,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Philadelphia, PA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | Apple | NTT Data International L.L.C. |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a hardware technician and a desktop support technician in terms of educational background:
| Hardware Technician | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Information Systems |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between hardware technicians' and desktop support technicians' demographics:
| Hardware Technician | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 12.0% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 11.7% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |