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Microcomputer technician vs technical support specialist

The differences between microcomputer technicians and technical support specialists 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 technical support specialist. Additionally, a technical support specialist has an average salary of $48,667, which is higher than the $43,055 average annual salary of a microcomputer technician.

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

Microcomputer technician vs technical support specialist overview

Microcomputer TechnicianTechnical Support Specialist
Yearly salary$43,055$48,667
Hourly rate$20.70$23.40
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs89,598157,425
Job satisfaction-4.6
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

Microcomputer technician vs technical support specialist salary

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

Microcomputer TechnicianTechnical Support Specialist
Average salary$43,055$48,667
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $69,000Between $30,000 And $76,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-New Jersey
Best paying company-Meta
Best paying industry-Finance

Differences between microcomputer technician and technical support specialist education

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

Microcomputer TechnicianTechnical Support Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common majorInformation TechnologyComputer Science
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Microcomputer technician vs technical support specialist demographics

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

Microcomputer TechnicianTechnical Support Specialist
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 86.8% Female, 13.2%Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6%
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, 11.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 11.3% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between microcomputer technician and technical support specialist 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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Technical support specialist example responsibilities.

  • Implement hardware and software upgrades and maintain stability, usability, and security for desktop/laptop/mobile systems; achieve SLA's.
  • Manage all operating end-user software including JavaScript - updating/installing Java.
  • Install, configure and manage proprietary applications on Unix servers.
  • Manage large-scale PC deployments including site surveys involving verification of network activity and appropriate power availability.
  • Manage backups, replications and disaster recovery plans of company mission critical servers and database files to ensure redundancy.
  • Deploy and troubleshoot complex software installations in Microsoft and Linux environments.
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Microcomputer technician vs technical support specialist skills

Common microcomputer technician skills
  • PC, 10%
  • Network Printers, 9%
  • Troubleshoot, 7%
  • Technical Support, 5%
  • Windows Server, 4%
  • Software Support, 4%
Common technical support specialist skills
  • Customer Service, 12%
  • Technical Support, 10%
  • Troubleshoot, 8%
  • Math, 4%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 3%
  • Phone Calls, 3%

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