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The differences between network technicians and network engineers 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 a network engineer. Additionally, a network engineer has an average salary of $83,557, which is higher than the $68,938 average annual salary of a network technician.
The top three skills for a network technician include customer service, switches and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a network engineer are switches, troubleshoot, and network infrastructure.
| Network Technician | Network Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $68,938 | $83,557 |
| Hourly rate | $33.14 | $40.17 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 79,712 | 72,346 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| 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.
A network engineer is responsible for managing a network system, monitoring its performance, and upgrading its features to optimize performance and boost efficiency. Network engineers also create new systems, designing them based on clients' specifications and business needs. They also check network defects, perform troubleshooting, improve data security systems, and install security updates. A network engineer must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a broad understanding of system codes, programming languages, and network configurations.
Network technicians and network engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Network Technician | Network Engineer | |
| Average salary | $68,938 | $83,557 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $92,000 | Between $62,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a network technician and a network engineer in terms of educational background:
| Network Technician | Network Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between network technicians' and network engineers' demographics:
| Network Technician | Network Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.3% Female, 12.7% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| 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, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.7% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |