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The differences between junior information technology specialists and junior 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 a junior technician. Additionally, a junior information technology specialist has an average salary of $46,556, which is higher than the $39,417 average annual salary of a junior technician.
The top three skills for a junior information technology specialist include troubleshoot, switches and NAT. The most important skills for a junior technician are customer service, HVAC, and fall protection.
| Junior Information Technology Specialist | Junior Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $46,556 | $39,417 |
| Hourly rate | $22.38 | $18.95 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 143,114 | 103,780 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| 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.
A junior technician is responsible for supporting senior technicians on maintaining the efficiency and optimal performance of various hardware and software systems and applications. Junior technicians assist the end-users and employees on troubleshooting inconsistent programs, identifying its complexities, and reporting findings to the management for resolution. They also update the systems' features to increase its operational productivity and maintain system recoveries. A junior technician must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a strong command on programming language and system codes, especially on conducting system analysis and installing applications.
Junior information technology specialists and junior technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Information Technology Specialist | Junior Technician | |
| Average salary | $46,556 | $39,417 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $57,000 | Between $26,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Alexandria, VA |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | Citi |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a junior information technology specialist and a junior technician in terms of educational background:
| Junior Information Technology Specialist | Junior Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between junior information technology specialists' and junior technicians' demographics:
| Junior Information Technology Specialist | Junior Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.8% Female, 19.2% | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% |
| 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, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |