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The differences between senior technical support specialists and computer 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 senior technical support specialist and a computer support technician. Additionally, a senior technical support specialist has an average salary of $72,587, which is higher than the $41,852 average annual salary of a computer support technician.
The top three skills for a senior technical support specialist include customer service, printers and phone calls. The most important skills for a computer support technician are customer service, technical support, and computer support.
| Senior Technical Support Specialist | Computer Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $72,587 | $41,852 |
| Hourly rate | $34.90 | $20.12 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 157,012 | 121,180 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A Senior Technical Support Specialist recommends, develops, and implements workplace endpoint technology initiatives. They also help troubleshoot problems within information technology system operations.
A computer support technician is responsible for diagnosing and resolving computer and network issues, identifying the source of malfunctions, and improving infrastructure to avoid downtimes and operational delays. Computer support technicians manage the efficiency of all equipment and peripherals for the computers, assist in installing components, and keeping adequate resources or alternatives for defective items. They also recommend minimal costs technology materials and create troubleshooting manuals for reference, ensuring that the network processes adhere to internal guidelines and regulations.
Senior technical support specialists and computer support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Technical Support Specialist | Computer Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $72,587 | $41,852 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $108,000 | Between $34,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | Lompoc, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | California |
| Best paying company | SAS Institute | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a senior technical support specialist and a computer support technician in terms of educational background:
| Senior Technical Support Specialist | Computer Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior technical support specialists' and computer support technicians' demographics:
| Senior Technical Support Specialist | Computer Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.9% Female, 18.1% | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 11.4% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 11.7% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |