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What does an information technology associate do?

Updated January 8, 2025
9 min read
Quoted expert
Babak Beheshti Ph.D.
What does an information technology associate do

An information technology (IT) associate is an individual who assists in the management of an IT infrastructure of an organization. IT associates are required to provide support and maintenance of network and wireless infrastructure as well as manage the technical side of an organization's web content platform. They must assist in the management of the inventory of equipment that can include computer desktops, projectors, copiers, and printers. IT associates should also communicate with staff members so that they can respond to their IT needs as well as provide maintenance and support.

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Information technology associate responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real information technology associate resumes:

  • Accomplish defect-free releases through careful planning, testing and QA efforts.
  • Upgrade and maintain network hardware including Cisco manage switches, routers, and firewalls.
  • Lead international, multi-organizational software testing teams through the SDLC, towards a production go-live.
  • Manage and coordinate offshore resources in providing control validation testing for large retail company and SOX external audit.
  • Manage workforce forecasting, scheduling, and load balancing for call activities, ensuring SLA and quality assurance metrics are meet.
  • Manage security clearance for unit, conduct security investigation, and maintain security database.
  • Deploy and perform maintenance of dhcp servers, dns servers, proxy server, and application servers.
  • Maintain classified computer asset and material accordance with DOD security policies and procedures.
  • Revise department processes to adhere to ITIL.
  • Utilize ERP system for inventory management and analyze data.
  • Maintain spare/upgrade parts inventory for workstations, desktops and printers.
  • Configure printers for network use as well as printing from Unix.
  • Execute server builds, migrations to current OS, and troubleshooting.
  • Migrate disparate systems and silos to centralize SAN architecture for storage.
  • Develop webpages for projects being develop using HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

Information technology associate skills and personality traits

We calculated that 14% of Information Technology Associates are proficient in SOC, Data Analysis, and Sarbanes-Oxley. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Listening skills, and Speaking skills.

We break down the percentage of Information Technology Associates that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • SOC, 14%

    Evaluated the design and operating effectiveness of IT controls in support of a SOC 1 and SOC 2 reporting.

  • Data Analysis, 12%

    Performed data analysis of the data repository and identified and resolved data issues.

  • Sarbanes-Oxley, 9%

    Analyzed and reported control weaknesses while performing corrective actions consistent with Sarbanes-Oxley 404 compliance reviews.

  • Project Management, 8%

    Coordinated the development of an interdependent work plan and managed various project management activities.

  • Customer Service, 5%

    Developed networking and technology expertise, Delivering excellent customer service to a wide variety of clients.

  • Develop Recommendations, 4%

    Plan and perform review of IT systems and applications to identify weaknesses and opportunities to develop recommendations for corrective actions.

"soc," "data analysis," and "sarbanes-oxley" are among the most common skills that information technology associates use at work. You can find even more information technology associate responsibilities below, including:

Customer-service skills. One of the key soft skills for an information technology associate to have is customer-service skills. You can see how this relates to what information technology associates do because "computer support specialists must be patient and sympathetic." Additionally, an information technology associate resume shows how information technology associates use customer-service skills: "traveled to end-user sites to train new users on software applications, assisted with troubleshooting customer problems. "

Listening skills. Another essential skill to perform information technology associate duties is listening skills. Information technology associates responsibilities require that "support workers must be able to understand the problems that their customers are describing and know when to ask questions to clarify the situation." Information technology associates also use listening skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "extended flex logging to send log messages to a java/soap log listener that maps log messages to a java logger. "

Speaking skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of information technology associates is speaking skills. This skill is critical to many everyday information technology associate duties, as "support workers must describe the solutions to computer problems in a way that a nontechnical person can understand." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "created and presented weekly status reports for upper management groups. "

Writing skills. For certain information technology associate responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "writing skills." The day-to-day duties of an information technology associate rely on this skill, as "strong writing skills are useful for preparing instructions and email responses for employees and customers, as well as for real-time web chat interactions." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what information technology associates do: "involved in writing test plans and test cases using mercury quality center. "

Problem-solving skills. Another crucial skill for an information technology associate to carry out their responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." A big part of what information technology associates relies on this skill, since "support workers must identify both simple and complex computer problems, analyze them, and solve them." How this skill relates to information technology associate duties can be seen in an example from an information technology associate resume snippet: "identified and resolved complex technical problems, defining computer systems and software deployment standards for all staff computers. "

Most common information technology associate skills

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Compare different information technology associates

Information technology associate vs. Information engineer

An information engineer is responsible for monitoring the efficiency of computer systems and network infrastructure, performing configuration to boost the optimal performance of the technology systems. Information engineers assist end-users in resolving network issues, identifying the source of inconsistencies, and create resolution reports for reference to avoid reoccurrence. They also design new network systems according to business needs and client specifications, running multiple diagnostic tests to ensure effectiveness before the release of final deliverables. An information engineer should have excellent technical skills, as well as a strong command of programming languages and system codes.

We looked at the average information technology associate salary and compared it with the wages of an information engineer. Generally speaking, information engineers are paid $29,213 higher than information technology associates per year.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both information technology associate and information engineer positions are skilled in data analysis, cryptography, and customer service.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, information technology associate responsibilities require skills like "soc," "sarbanes-oxley," "project management," and "develop recommendations." Meanwhile a typical information engineer has skills in areas such as "san," "azure," "c++," and "lan wan." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Information engineers really shine in the technology industry with an average salary of $107,435. Comparatively, information technology associates tend to make the most money in the finance industry with an average salary of $83,716.On average, information engineers reach similar levels of education than information technology associates. Information engineers are 3.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Information technology associate vs. Senior consultant, information technology

A senior consultant of information technology is primarily responsible for developing strategies and procedures to optimize a company's information technology systems and infrastructure. It is their duty to assess existing networks and systems to identify their strengths and weaknesses, develop solutions in problem areas, perform risk assessments, and provide advice on how to achieve the best information technology practices. Furthermore, as a senior consultant, it is essential to lead the efforts and serve as a role model for the workforce, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Senior consultant, information technology positions earn higher pay than information technology associate roles. They earn a $34,348 higher salary than information technology associates per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both information technology associates and senior consultants, information technology have skills such as "data analysis," "project management," and "unix. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real information technology associate resumes. While information technology associate responsibilities can utilize skills like "soc," "sarbanes-oxley," "cryptography," and "customer service," senior consultants, information technology use skills like "architecture," "healthcare," "cloud," and "visio."

Senior consultants, information technology earn a higher average salary than information technology associates. But senior consultants, information technology earn the highest pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $117,869. Additionally, information technology associates earn the highest salaries in the finance with average pay of $83,716 annually.In general, senior consultants, information technology achieve higher levels of education than information technology associates. They're 10.9% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for information technology associates in the next 3-5 years?

Babak Beheshti Ph.D.Babak Beheshti Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Dean, Professor, New York Institute of Technology

-The enormous growth of IoT and wearables. The number of connected devices is expected to be more than 26 billion in 2020. That includes things like household appliances, controllable lighting, and much more. This trend is likely to continue as it is expected to see the industry grow to 661 billion dollars by 2021.

-We will be witnessing a more widespread commercial deployment of 5G in 2020. With the implementation of the Standalone 5G devices based on the 3gpp release 16, we should be seeing the more robust mobile broadband deployment of 5G, wider availability of 5G smartphones, and a push towards an all 5G Network in select urban areas around the world.

-Significant growth in AI-based technologies, from face recognition and voice recognition to business intelligence and market predictions. As machines and deep learning algorithms get integrated into many applications, many industries will undergo substantial changes. AI systems will continue to interact with our phones; cars will interpret and analyze their surroundings and intelligently drive themselves. Online vendors will monitor our browsing habits, and Google decides what kind of search results to give us, based on who it thinks we are.

Information technology associate vs. Information technology supervisor, information technology

An information technology supervisor of information technology is primarily in charge of overseeing a company's IT operations, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. It is their duty to spearhead projects, set goals and objectives, coordinate staff, manage budgets and timelines, perform installations and upgrades, and develop strategies to optimize operations. They must remain knowledgeable of the latest technologies, liaise with external parties, and produce progress reports. Furthermore, as a supervisor, it is essential to monitor the performance of the IT teams, all while enforcing the company's policies and regulations.

An average information technology supervisor, information technology eans a higher salary compared to the average salary of information technology associates. The difference in salaries amounts to information technology supervisors, information technology earning a $35,492 higher average salary than information technology associates.By looking over several information technology associates and information technology supervisors, information technology resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "project management," "customer service," and "unix." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an information technology associate is likely to be skilled in "soc," "data analysis," "sarbanes-oxley," and "cryptography," while a typical information technology supervisor, information technology is skilled in "database," "azure," "performance reviews," and "itil."

Information technology supervisors, information technology earn the highest salary when working in the energy industry, where they receive an average salary of $116,415. Comparatively, information technology associates have the highest earning potential in the finance industry, with an average salary of $83,716.When it comes to education, information technology supervisors, information technology tend to earn similar degree levels compared to information technology associates. In fact, they're 0.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Information technology associate vs. Information technology technical services manager

An information technology/technical services manager is responsible for supervising the operations of the information technology team, assisting the technical staff in providing efficient performance by improving technology systems and network infrastructure to support business functions. This job requires extensive knowledge of the technology industry, as well as an excellent command of programming and system processes to ensure smooth navigation and consistent transitions. An information technology/technical services manager also handles the development of new network systems according to business requirements and client specifications.

Information technology technical services managers tend to earn a higher pay than information technology associates by an average of $38,231 per year.While both information technology associates and information technology technical services managers complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like project management, customer service, and unix, the two careers vary in some skills.While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "soc," "data analysis," "sarbanes-oxley," and "cryptography" are skills that commonly show up on information technology associate resumes. On the other hand, information technology technical services managers use skills like itil, service management, itsm, and process improvement on their resumes.In general, information technology technical services managers earn the most working in the finance industry, with an average salary of $124,604. The highest-paying industry for an information technology associate is the finance industry.information technology technical services managers reach higher levels of education compared to information technology associates, in general. The difference is that they're 5.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.6% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of information technology associate

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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