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The differences between software support technicians and junior 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 software support technician and a junior technician. Additionally, a software support technician has an average salary of $79,670, which is higher than the $39,417 average annual salary of a junior technician.
The top three skills for a software support technician include customer service, troubleshoot and java. The most important skills for a junior technician are customer service, HVAC, and fall protection.
| Software Support Technician | Junior Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $79,670 | $39,417 |
| Hourly rate | $38.30 | $18.95 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 117,059 | 103,780 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A software support technician is responsible for resolving software application issues, diagnosing related system failures, and writing resolution reports for reference. Software support technicians must be highly-familiarized with the system's infrastructure and interface to immediately diagnose malfunctions and identify maintenance techniques to prevent the reoccurrence of downtimes and delays. They also assist the system engineers in the configuration and optimization of networks, including the installment of upgrades and patch updates. A software support technician must have excellent organizational and communication skills, especially in navigating computer tools and applications to create support tickets and fix the customers' issues efficiently.
A junior technician is responsible for supporting senior technicians on maintaining the efficiency and optimal performance of various hardware and software systems and applications. Junior technicians assist the end-users and employees on troubleshooting inconsistent programs, identifying its complexities, and reporting findings to the management for resolution. They also update the systems' features to increase its operational productivity and maintain system recoveries. A junior technician must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a strong command on programming language and system codes, especially on conducting system analysis and installing applications.
Software support technicians and junior technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Support Technician | Junior Technician | |
| Average salary | $79,670 | $39,417 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $113,000 | Between $26,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Alexandria, VA |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | RSM US | Citi |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a software support technician and a junior technician in terms of educational background:
| Software Support Technician | Junior Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between software support technicians' and junior technicians' demographics:
| Software Support Technician | Junior Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.8% Female, 26.2% | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 12.4% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |