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The differences between junior information technology specialists and information technology/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 a junior information technology specialist and an information technology/support technician. Additionally, a junior information technology specialist has an average salary of $46,556, which is higher than the $45,591 average annual salary of an information technology/support technician.
The top three skills for a junior information technology specialist include troubleshoot, switches and NAT. The most important skills for an information technology/support technician are customer service, troubleshoot, and computer system.
| Junior Information Technology Specialist | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $46,556 | $45,591 |
| Hourly rate | $22.38 | $21.92 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 143,114 | 161,748 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A junior information technology specialist installs and repairs computer hardware and software systems in a company, ensuring quality and efficiency. Their responsibilities include handling computer components, developing test structures, troubleshooting issues, eliminating bugs, and performing security and maintenance checks to ensure that all networks and data are safe and secured. There are also instances when they must produce progress reports and train new members of the workforce. Moreover, they must provide technical support to employees while implementing the company's information technology policies and regulations.
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.
Junior information technology specialists and information technology/support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Information Technology Specialist | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $46,556 | $45,591 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $57,000 | Between $31,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | - | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a junior information technology specialist and an information technology/support technician in terms of educational background:
| Junior Information Technology Specialist | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between junior information technology specialists' and information technology/support technicians' demographics:
| Junior Information Technology Specialist | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.8% Female, 19.2% | Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 13.2% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |