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The differences between infrastructure technicians and hardware 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 infrastructure technician and a hardware technician. Additionally, an infrastructure technician has an average salary of $96,543, which is higher than the $47,851 average annual salary of a hardware technician.
The top three skills for an infrastructure technician include troubleshoot, structured cabling and technical support. The most important skills for a hardware technician are customer service, technical support, and network printers.
In the information technology (IT) industry, an infrastructure technician is an IT expert responsible for the maintenance and installation of computer systems and networks. They are also responsible for addressing issues and concerns, troubleshooting problems, performing adjustments and modifications, developing test structures, eliminating bugs, and maintaining documentation. There are also instances where they participate in designing and developing network software and hardware, liaising with clients, and overseeing IT operations. Moreover, an infrastructure technician must provide technical support and guidance to staff, all while enforcing the security and quality standards of the company.
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.
Infrastructure technicians and hardware technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Infrastructure Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Average salary | $96,543 | $47,851 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $148,000 | Between $32,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Yelp | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between an infrastructure technician and a hardware technician in terms of educational background:
| Infrastructure Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Computer Information Systems | Computer Science |
| Most common college | - | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between infrastructure technicians' and hardware technicians' demographics:
| Infrastructure Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0% | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 10.6% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |