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The differences between professional technicians and hardware 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 hardware technician. Additionally, a professional technician has an average salary of $81,726, which is higher than the $47,851 average annual salary of a hardware technician.
The top three skills for a professional technician include customer service, cloud and project management. The most important skills for a hardware technician are customer service, technical support, and network printers.
| Professional Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $81,726 | $47,851 |
| Hourly rate | $39.29 | $23.01 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 123,659 | 85,174 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| 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 hardware technician is typically in charge of providing technical support to clients or employees, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. In a company setting, a hardware technician is responsible for performing initial assessments on computer hardware, troubleshooting, diagnosing problems, and providing step by step solutions to solve the issues. They may also perform corrective repairs on problems and conduct regular maintenance checks to ensure the quality of equipment. Furthermore, as a hardware technician, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with staff for a smooth and efficient workflow.
Professional technicians and hardware technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Professional Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Average salary | $81,726 | $47,851 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $104,000 | Between $32,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a professional technician and a hardware technician in terms of educational background:
| Professional Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between professional technicians' and hardware technicians' demographics:
| Professional Technician | Hardware 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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 12.0% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |