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The differences between production support engineers and computer 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 production support engineer and a computer technician. Additionally, a production support engineer has an average salary of $78,599, which is higher than the $39,767 average annual salary of a computer technician.
The top three skills for a production support engineer include java, infrastructure and linux. The most important skills for a computer technician are customer service, desk support, and network printers.
| Production Support Engineer | Computer Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $78,599 | $39,767 |
| Hourly rate | $37.79 | $19.12 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 194,203 | 95,688 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Product support engineers are in charge of managing the technical requests ordered by the customer. Their primary role is to repair and resolve errors, constantly register details for later reports, and update customers with the improvements. They help other engineers by enhancing processes and assisting in product development. Also, they provide recommendations for feature improvements and efficiency enhancement based on the customers' preference. These specialists are critical and analytical thinkers as well as technical experts. They are able to communicate well to customers while doing multiple tasks and pay attention to detail to track errors and record them.
Computer technicians are skilled information technology professionals who handle concerns related to computers. They are responsible for assisting clients in software installations, troubleshooting needs, and repair needs. Computer technicians handle the maintenance and repair of both software and hardware of computers. They should be able to quickly pinpoint the causes of computer problems that the client encounters. They should also be able to answer the clients' computer-related inquiries and provide advice on proper computer handling. Computer technicians should have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.
Production support engineers and computer technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Production Support Engineer | Computer Technician | |
| Average salary | $78,599 | $39,767 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $107,000 | Between $28,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Alexandria, VA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Salesforce | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a production support engineer and a computer technician in terms of educational background:
| Production Support Engineer | Computer Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between production support engineers' and computer technicians' demographics:
| Production Support Engineer | Computer Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9% | Male, 87.0% Female, 13.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 13.8% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 11.1% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |