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The differences between program support 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 program support technician and an information technology/support technician. Additionally, an information technology/support technician has an average salary of $45,591, which is higher than the $36,653 average annual salary of a program support technician.
The top three skills for a program support technician include program support, data entry and DMV. The most important skills for an information technology/support technician are customer service, troubleshoot, and computer system.
| Program Support Technician | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $36,653 | $45,591 |
| Hourly rate | $17.62 | $21.92 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 160,368 | 161,748 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Program support technicians require administrative experience and skills in communication, organization, and proficiency with office software to do their best. This career choice demands showcasing support for users by answering their questions, resolving technical issues, and maintaining the network, software, and computer equipment of the respective company.
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.
Program support technicians and information technology/support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Support Technician | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $36,653 | $45,591 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $52,000 | Between $31,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Long Beach, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | Mandiant | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a program support technician and an information technology/support technician in terms of educational background:
| Program Support Technician | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between program support technicians' and information technology/support technicians' demographics:
| Program Support Technician | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.2% Female, 67.8% | Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 14.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 9.6% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 11% | 11% |