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The differences between information technology technicians and information specialists 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 technician and an information specialist. Additionally, an information specialist has an average salary of $69,502, which is higher than the $49,031 average annual salary of an information technology technician.
The top three skills for an information technology technician include customer service, troubleshoot and technical support. The most important skills for an information specialist are patients, data entry, and customer service.
| Information Technology Technician | Information Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $49,031 | $69,502 |
| Hourly rate | $23.57 | $33.41 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 118,881 | 121,168 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An information technology technician, also known as an IT technician, is responsible for ensuring that all computer systems in a company or organization are running smoothly and efficiently. Their duties primarily revolve around installing and maintaining systems, including software and hardware, and resolving any issues. They also provide technical support such as troubleshooting, navigation, and even system upgrades. Furthermore, an information technology technician can choose whether to work for a company or independently.
An information specialist is responsible for obtaining data through various strategies such as surveys, research, and analysis. It is essential to coordinate with different teams to learn their data needs and utilize them upon gathering. There may also be instances where an information specialist must work with other groups for tasks, such as building databases and networks. Furthermore, it is essential to ensure data integrity, protect their source's identities, adhere to all the company's policies and regulations, and abide by the state law when gathering information.
Information technology technicians and information specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Technology Technician | Information Specialist | |
| Average salary | $49,031 | $69,502 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $83,000 | Between $40,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Trenton, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Cravath | Crowell & Moring |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between an information technology technician and an information specialist in terms of educational background:
| Information Technology Technician | Information Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between information technology technicians' and information specialists' demographics:
| Information Technology Technician | Information Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.8% Female, 15.2% | Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 11.8% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |