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The differences between program technicians and resident assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a program technician and a resident assistant. Additionally, a program technician has an average salary of $42,891, which is higher than the $29,971 average annual salary of a resident assistant.
The top three skills for a program technician include customer service, math and technical support. The most important skills for a resident assistant are home health, CPR, and vital signs.
| Program Technician | Resident Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $42,891 | $29,971 |
| Hourly rate | $20.62 | $14.41 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 83,881 | 19,033 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A program technician is responsible for resolving computer software and application issues and performing administrative duties for customer support. Program technicians keep a record of resolution reports and customer files, process payments for program installations and updates, and offer new services to the customers according to their needs and account eligibility. A program technician must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in navigating computer systems, to guide the clients with troubleshooting and improving the optimization of applications.
Resident assistants help manage peers or younger students who live in a particular residence hall on campus. They are usually in charge of welcoming fellow students, providing residence hall tours, and helping students cope with their new environment. To help students become more at ease with their environment, resident assistants usually act as buddies. They answer inquiries that the students may have and act as the bridge between the students and the residence hall management. They assist with administrative activities in the residence hall, such as handing out forms for students and ensuring documents are correctly filled out.
Program technicians and resident assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Technician | Resident Assistant | |
| Average salary | $42,891 | $29,971 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $71,000 | Between $22,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellingham, WA | Roseville, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Mount St. Mary's University |
| Best paying industry | Government | Education |
There are a few differences between a program technician and a resident assistant in terms of educational background:
| Program Technician | Resident Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | SUNY at Binghamton |
Here are the differences between program technicians' and resident assistants' demographics:
| Program Technician | Resident Assistant | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6% | Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 6.7% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |