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The differences between network consultants 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 network consultant and a network support technician. Additionally, a network consultant has an average salary of $89,303, which is higher than the $48,622 average annual salary of a network support technician.
The top three skills for a network consultant include appeals, firewall and windows server. The most important skills for a network support technician are troubleshoot, technical support, and customer service.
| Network Consultant | Network Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $89,303 | $48,622 |
| Hourly rate | $42.93 | $23.38 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 58,194 | 120,245 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Network consultants are information technology (IT) professionals who are responsible for designing, setting up, and maintaining computer networks for an organization or at a client location. These consultants are required to meet with the manager of an organization and network engineers to discuss their networking requirements. By supervising a team of IT professionals, these consultants must administer technical issues and fix infrastructure issues onsite. Network consultants must also maintain documentation for IT infrastructure as well as coordinate network documentation with account managers.
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.
Network consultants and network support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Network Consultant | Network Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $89,303 | $48,622 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $132,000 | Between $38,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | Mountain View, CA | Troy, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Dell | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a network consultant and a network support technician in terms of educational background:
| Network Consultant | Network Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between network consultants' and network support technicians' demographics:
| Network Consultant | Network Support Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.0% Female, 13.0% | Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 11.3% White, 61.7% 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% |