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The differences between information technology/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 an information technology/support technician and a computer support technician. Additionally, an information technology/support technician has an average salary of $45,591, which is higher than the $41,852 average annual salary of a computer support technician.
The top three skills for an information technology/support technician include customer service, troubleshoot and computer system. The most important skills for a computer support technician are customer service, technical support, and computer support.
| Information Technology/Support Technician | Computer Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $45,591 | $41,852 |
| Hourly rate | $21.92 | $20.12 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 161,748 | 121,180 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
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.
Information technology/support technicians and computer support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Technology/Support Technician | Computer Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $45,591 | $41,852 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $66,000 | Between $34,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Lompoc, CA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an information technology/support technician and a computer support technician in terms of educational background:
| Information Technology/Support Technician | Computer Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between information technology/support technicians' and computer support technicians' demographics:
| Information Technology/Support Technician | Computer Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6% | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |