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The differences between network designers 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 designer and a network support technician. Additionally, a network designer has an average salary of $84,818, which is higher than the $48,622 average annual salary of a network support technician.
The top three skills for a network designer include network design, PC and OSPF. The most important skills for a network support technician are troubleshoot, technical support, and customer service.
| Network Designer | Network Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $84,818 | $48,622 |
| Hourly rate | $40.78 | $23.38 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 66,415 | 120,245 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Network designers are the people in an organization who assess a company's network requirements and design a network that meets the needs. The responsibilities of this position are designing and submitting plans for the network to management, making updates and upgrading the software and hardware where needed, incorporating security features into the design, configuring multiple types of connections, e.g., printers, servers and supporting specialized services like specific point virtualization through cloud computing.
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 designers and network support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Network Designer | Network Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $84,818 | $48,622 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $115,000 | Between $38,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Troy, NY |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | AT&T | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Technology |
There are a few differences between a network designer and a network support technician in terms of educational background:
| Network Designer | Network Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between network designers' and network support technicians' demographics:
| Network Designer | 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, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 13.7% White, 61.2% 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% |