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The differences between program technicians and service 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 service assistant. Additionally, a program technician has an average salary of $42,891, which is higher than the $31,928 average annual salary of a service assistant.
The top three skills for a program technician include customer service, math and technical support. The most important skills for a service assistant are excellent interpersonal, basic math, and customer satisfaction.
| Program Technician | Service Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $42,891 | $31,928 |
| Hourly rate | $20.62 | $15.35 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 83,881 | 69,115 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| 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.
A Service Assistant's responsibility depends on the line of work or industry involved. However, the primary responsibility of a Service Assistant is to respond to a customer's inquiry and offer them assistance, a suggestion, or a solution. Aside from ensuring customer satisfaction, a Service Assistant may also process payments, discuss product information, and sell products or services in adherence to the company's policies and regulations. Furthermore, A Service Assistant needs to keep records of transactions at all times and report to management or supervisors.
Program technicians and service assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Technician | Service Assistant | |
| Average salary | $42,891 | $31,928 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $71,000 | Between $23,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellingham, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Meta | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a program technician and a service assistant in terms of educational background:
| Program Technician | Service Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between program technicians' and service assistants' demographics:
| Program Technician | Service Assistant | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6% | Male, 35.8% Female, 64.2% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.4% Asian, 6.7% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |