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The differences between law enforcement technicians and program technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a law enforcement technician, becoming a program technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a law enforcement technician has an average salary of $44,124, which is higher than the $42,891 average annual salary of a program technician.
The top three skills for a law enforcement technician include patrol, emergency situations and local laws. The most important skills for a program technician are customer service, math, and technical support.
| Law Enforcement Technician | Program Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $44,124 | $42,891 |
| Hourly rate | $21.21 | $20.62 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 6,659 | 83,881 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 46 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A law enforcement technician is responsible for communicating with field units and emergency services to support the functions of the police department. Typical duties include assessing the appropriate dispatch unit to respond, collaborating with other law enforcement agencies, and fielding incoming calls. Additionally, you will be responsible for monitoring inventories, re-stocking supplies, and scheduling maintenance. As a law enforcement technician, you may perform clerical and administrative duties such as storing evidence, filing reports, and entering data. You are also responsible for coordinating the repair and maintenance of facility vehicles.
A program technician is responsible for resolving computer software and application issues and performing administrative duties for customer support. Program technicians keep a record of resolution reports and customer files, process payments for program installations and updates, and offer new services to the customers according to their needs and account eligibility. A program technician must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in navigating computer systems, to guide the clients with troubleshooting and improving the optimization of applications.
Law enforcement technicians and program technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Law Enforcement Technician | Program Technician | |
| Average salary | $44,124 | $42,891 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $74,000 | Between $25,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Bellingham, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Federal Reserve Bank | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a law enforcement technician and a program technician in terms of educational background:
| Law Enforcement Technician | Program Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Business |
| Most common college | Pennsylvania State University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between law enforcement technicians' and program technicians' demographics:
| Law Enforcement Technician | Program Technician | |
| Average age | 46 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% | Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 11.3% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 11% |