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The differences between hardware technicians and information technology/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 an information technology/support technician. Additionally, a hardware technician has an average salary of $47,851, which is higher than the $45,591 average annual salary of an information technology/support technician.
The top three skills for a hardware technician include customer service, technical support and network printers. The most important skills for an information technology/support technician are customer service, troubleshoot, and computer system.
| Hardware Technician | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $47,851 | $45,591 |
| Hourly rate | $23.01 | $21.92 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 85,174 | 161,748 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| 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.
An information technology (IT) support technician is an individual who is responsible for providing support and troubleshoots software and hardware problems faced by customers. As for larger organizations that have their own IT department, technicians must work together internally with their IT staff members. IT support technicians are involved in inspecting and resolving minor local area network and wireless network issues, which include TCP/IP, DHCP, and VPN. They are also required to obtain an associate's degree in computer science or related field.
Hardware technicians and information technology/support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hardware Technician | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $47,851 | $45,591 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $71,000 | Between $31,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | Apple | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a hardware technician and an information technology/support technician in terms of educational background:
| Hardware Technician | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between hardware technicians' and information technology/support technicians' demographics:
| Hardware Technician | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% | Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6% |
| 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, 10.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 13.2% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |