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The differences between professional technicians and computer repair 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 professional technician and a computer repair technician. Additionally, a professional technician has an average salary of $81,726, which is higher than the $32,627 average annual salary of a computer repair technician.
The top three skills for a professional technician include customer service, cloud and project management. The most important skills for a computer repair technician are troubleshoot, laptop computers, and computer system.
| Professional Technician | Computer Repair Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $81,726 | $32,627 |
| Hourly rate | $39.29 | $15.69 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 123,659 | 109,196 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Associate Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A professional technician is responsible for handling the complexities of technical and mechanical systems, repair defective components, and recommend technical solutions to enhance the company's productivity and efficiency in delivering high-quality deliverables. Professional technicians must be highly skilled in analyzing schematics and blueprints to assemble components and perform troubleshooting. They also manage the adequacy of inventories, create purchase requests, and identify costs and expenses for repairs and installations. A professional technician must be highly communicative and organization, especially in handling tasks with utmost adherence to safety protocols and regulations.
A computer repair technician installs, repairs, and maintains different computer equipment. Computer repair technicians repair and maintain computers and their servers. The technicians are responsible for configuring and building new hardware as well as installing and updating software packages. They have to be updated on the ever-evolving technology for certain job analysis and troubleshooting. Good computer repair technicians are investigative who are introspective, inquisitive, and intellectual. They are also methodical, logical, rational, and curious.
Professional technicians and computer repair technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Professional Technician | Computer Repair Technician | |
| Average salary | $81,726 | $32,627 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $104,000 | Between $25,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Saint Paul, MN |
| Highest paying state | California | Minnesota |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a professional technician and a computer repair technician in terms of educational background:
| Professional Technician | Computer Repair Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Associate Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between professional technicians' and computer repair technicians' demographics:
| Professional Technician | Computer Repair Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.1% Female, 27.9% | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 12.8% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 10.7% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |