Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between lead network engineers and network 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 lead network engineer and a network support technician. Additionally, a lead network engineer has an average salary of $110,170, which is higher than the $48,622 average annual salary of a network support technician.
The top three skills for a lead network engineer include firewall, switches and lan wan. The most important skills for a network support technician are troubleshoot, technical support, and customer service.
| Lead Network Engineer | Network Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $110,170 | $48,622 |
| Hourly rate | $52.97 | $23.38 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 58,355 | 120,245 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A Lead Network Engineer ensures network performance through supervising the building of net configurations and connections. They are responsible for securing network systems.
A network support technician specializes in optimizing a company's information technology (IT) networks for a smooth and efficient workflow. Their responsibilities revolve around addressing issues and concerns, troubleshooting, installing systems, executing upgrades, conducting diagnostic tests, and performing corrective measures as needed. They must also coordinate with staff in developing new IT systems, evaluate existing networks for areas needing improvement, and develop protocols while adhering to the company's policies and regulations. Furthermore, as a network support technician, it is essential to maintain regular network maintenance checks to ensure the security and safety of company data.
Lead network engineers and network support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Network Engineer | Network Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $110,170 | $48,622 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $142,000 | Between $38,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Troy, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Meta | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lead network engineer and a network support technician in terms of educational background:
| Lead Network Engineer | Network Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between lead network engineers' and network support technicians' demographics:
| Lead Network Engineer | Network Support Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% | Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 11.3% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 8.7% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |