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The differences between network technicians and information technology/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 technician and an information technology/support technician. Additionally, a network technician has an average salary of $68,938, which is higher than the $45,591 average annual salary of an information technology/support technician.
The top three skills for a network technician include customer service, switches and troubleshoot. The most important skills for an information technology/support technician are customer service, troubleshoot, and computer system.
| Network Technician | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $68,938 | $45,591 |
| Hourly rate | $33.14 | $21.92 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 79,712 | 161,748 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A network technician is responsible for system malfunction diagnosis and troubleshooting operations. Network technicians duties' include repairing damaged system components, analyzing computer systems and blueprints, installing network connections, and upgrading accessories for efficient operations. Other duties include assisting customers with technical issues, ensuring computer systems' privacy, creating documents of network issues and resolutions, and suggesting alternative equipment for network backups. A network technician must have a broad knowledge of the technology industry and mechanical processes, plus the ability to work under pressure with minimal supervision.
An information technology (IT) support technician is an individual who is responsible for providing support and troubleshoots software and hardware problems faced by customers. As for larger organizations that have their own IT department, technicians must work together internally with their IT staff members. IT support technicians are involved in inspecting and resolving minor local area network and wireless network issues, which include TCP/IP, DHCP, and VPN. They are also required to obtain an associate's degree in computer science or related field.
Network technicians and information technology/support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Network Technician | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $68,938 | $45,591 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $92,000 | Between $31,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | Apple | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a network technician and an information technology/support technician in terms of educational background:
| Network Technician | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between network technicians' and information technology/support technicians' demographics:
| Network Technician | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.3% Female, 12.7% | Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.4% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 13.2% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |