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The differences between information systems technicians and information technology administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an information systems technician, becoming an information technology administrator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an information technology administrator has an average salary of $73,195, which is higher than the $46,346 average annual salary of an information systems technician.
The top three skills for an information systems technician include customer service, troubleshoot and technical support. The most important skills for an information technology administrator are customer service, troubleshoot, and linux.
| Information Systems Technician | Information Technology Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $46,346 | $73,195 |
| Hourly rate | $22.28 | $35.19 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 173,424 | 159,499 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
An information systems technician is responsible for maintaining the efficiency of various network systems' performance. Information systems technicians provide network troubleshooting, upgrading systems for optimization, maintaining the security of databases, managing the interaction of networks, and inspecting and troubleshooting system inconsistencies. Additional duties include creating network designs based on clients' specifications, configuring software and hardware applications, and creating reports on system issues and resolutions. An information systems technician must have excellent knowledge of information systems procedures, programming languages, detecting malfunctions, and making resolutions promptly.
An Information Technology (IT) administrator is an individual responsible for managing the day-to-day operation of an organization's IT systems and ensuring that the systems are running effectively. IT administrators must conduct consistent analyses of the computer system and install updates when needed. They are required to assess the organization's security programs and run the system for viruses and spyware. IT administrators also extend support to the organization's end-users and train them on desktop applications.
Information systems technicians and information technology administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Systems Technician | Information Technology Administrator | |
| Average salary | $46,346 | $73,195 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $74,000 | Between $50,000 And $105,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rahway, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett | Databricks |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between an information systems technician and an information technology administrator in terms of educational background:
| Information Systems Technician | Information Technology Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between information systems technicians' and information technology administrators' demographics:
| Information Systems Technician | Information Technology Administrator | |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.6% Female, 26.4% | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 9% |