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The differences between services desk 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 services desk technician and a hardware technician. Additionally, a hardware technician has an average salary of $47,851, which is higher than the $42,123 average annual salary of a services desk technician.
The top three skills for a services desk technician include service desk, customer service and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a hardware technician are customer service, technical support, and network printers.
| Services Desk Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $42,123 | $47,851 |
| Hourly rate | $20.25 | $23.01 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 145,853 | 85,174 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Service Desk Technicians are technicians who specialize in providing support to clients. They are usually in fields related to information technology, and they provide technical support to the employees of the organization. They usually help clients in installing, updating, repairing, or maintaining technical components. They are technology-savvy and should be able to communicate well. Most of the time, Service Desk Technicians are contacted through phone calls and thus should be able to guide callers over the phone. They are also expected to be patient and to be customer service-oriented.
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.
Services desk technicians and hardware technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Services Desk Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Average salary | $42,123 | $47,851 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $55,000 | Between $32,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Forum Energy Technologies | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a services desk technician and a hardware technician in terms of educational background:
| Services Desk Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Information Technology | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between services desk technicians' and hardware technicians' demographics:
| Services Desk Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.0% Female, 21.0% | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.9% White, 55.8% 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% |