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The differences between junior 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 a junior technician and a hardware technician. Additionally, a hardware technician has an average salary of $47,851, which is higher than the $39,417 average annual salary of a junior technician.
The top three skills for a junior technician include customer service, HVAC and fall protection. The most important skills for a hardware technician are customer service, technical support, and network printers.
| Junior Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $39,417 | $47,851 |
| Hourly rate | $18.95 | $23.01 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 103,780 | 85,174 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
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.
Junior technicians and hardware technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Average salary | $39,417 | $47,851 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $57,000 | Between $32,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Alexandria, VA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Citi | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a junior technician and a hardware technician in terms of educational background:
| Junior Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between junior technicians' and hardware technicians' demographics:
| Junior Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |