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Microcomputer technician vs desk support technician

The differences between microcomputer technicians and desk 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 microcomputer technician and a desk support technician. Additionally, a microcomputer technician has an average salary of $43,055, which is higher than the $40,715 average annual salary of a desk support technician.

The top three skills for a microcomputer technician include PC, network printers and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a desk support technician are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.

Microcomputer technician vs desk support technician overview

Microcomputer TechnicianDesk Support Technician
Yearly salary$43,055$40,715
Hourly rate$20.70$19.57
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs89,598130,485
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

Microcomputer technician vs desk support technician salary

Microcomputer technicians and desk support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Microcomputer TechnicianDesk Support Technician
Average salary$43,055$40,715
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $69,000Between $26,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City-South San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-BNY Mellon
Best paying industry-Technology

Differences between microcomputer technician and desk support technician education

There are a few differences between a microcomputer technician and a desk support technician in terms of educational background:

Microcomputer TechnicianDesk Support Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common majorInformation TechnologyBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Microcomputer technician vs desk support technician demographics

Here are the differences between microcomputer technicians' and desk support technicians' demographics:

Microcomputer TechnicianDesk Support Technician
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 86.8% Female, 13.2%Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 13.0% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 11.7% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between microcomputer technician and desk support technician duties and responsibilities

Microcomputer technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage user application access through Citrix.
  • Install, configure, maintain and troubleshoot microcomputers, laser printers, software and other computer-relate hardware.
  • Provide hands on support for all college technology resources, including workstations, servers, and telecommunications.
  • Interview, configure, deploy, and create backup files for monthly expire lease workstations and new user setup.
  • Diagnose and troubleshoot workstation connectivity issues.
  • Maintain government and/or vendor-manufacture telecommunications equipment, fiber optic modems, multiplexer, fiber optic/Ethernet cables, switches & telephone systems.
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Desk support technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage backups, replications and disaster recovery plans of company mission critical servers and database files to ensure redundancy.
  • Use multiple monitor setup display and remote desktop applications via VPN to access associate computers.
  • Utilize desktop deployment tools in order to deploy and maintain inventory for PCs, monitors, and printers.
  • Assist with network connectivity with PCs, laptops, and mobile phones including TCP/IP settings and internet connections.
  • Provide administrative support and troubleshooting for VPN users.
  • Maintain company networks security systems and infrastructure hardware including firewalls and switches and install software security and firmware patches or upgrades.
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Microcomputer technician vs desk support technician skills

Common microcomputer technician skills
  • PC, 10%
  • Network Printers, 9%
  • Troubleshoot, 7%
  • Technical Support, 5%
  • Windows Server, 4%
  • Software Support, 4%
Common desk support technician skills
  • Customer Service, 11%
  • Technical Support, 8%
  • Troubleshoot, 7%
  • Phone Calls, 5%
  • Desk Side Support, 5%
  • Remote Troubleshooting, 4%

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