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The differences between lead 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 lead technician and a hardware technician. Additionally, a lead technician has an average salary of $90,615, which is higher than the $47,851 average annual salary of a hardware technician.
The top three skills for a lead technician include java, architecture and digital transformation. The most important skills for a hardware technician are customer service, technical support, and network printers.
| Lead Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $90,615 | $47,851 |
| Hourly rate | $43.56 | $23.01 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 250,590 | 85,174 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Lead technicians are technicians who oversee the technical needs of a specific project or department. They are usually tenured employees, and their familiarity with the company's technical and technological processes, software, and hardware would be a great advantage in succeeding in their role. Lead technicians are responsible for installing, updating, and maintaining various software and hardware components in the office. They often manage a group of technicians, and they ensure that the group they manage is properly trained and well-versed on the processes of the company. Lead technicians are expected to have strong analytical skills and decision-making skills.
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.
Lead technicians and hardware technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Average salary | $90,615 | $47,851 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $121,000 | Between $32,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lead technician and a hardware technician in terms of educational background:
| Lead Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between lead technicians' and hardware technicians' demographics:
| Lead Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 15.1% White, 53.6% 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% |