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The differences between software support technicians and technical support trainers 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 technical support trainer. Additionally, a software support technician has an average salary of $79,670, which is higher than the $45,722 average annual salary of a technical support trainer.
The top three skills for a software support technician include customer service, troubleshoot and java. The most important skills for a technical support trainer are customer service, product support, and technical support.
| Software Support Technician | Technical Support Trainer | |
| Yearly salary | $79,670 | $45,722 |
| Hourly rate | $38.30 | $21.98 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 117,059 | 168,898 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| 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 technical support trainer specializes in creating training programs meant to mold workers into becoming valuable members of a company workforce. Their responsibilities revolve around identifying the trainees' needs, providing written and verbal instructions, addressing and resolving inquiries and concerns, conducting skills assessments, managing schedules, monitoring attendance and performance, and providing consultations to trainees. Furthermore, as a trainer, it is essential to lead and encourage trainees to achieve their goals, all while implementing and emphasizing the company's policies and regulations.
Software support technicians and technical support trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Support Technician | Technical Support Trainer | |
| Average salary | $79,670 | $45,722 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $113,000 | Between $25,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Mountain View, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | RSM US | T.D. Williamson |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a software support technician and a technical support trainer in terms of educational background:
| Software Support Technician | Technical Support Trainer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between software support technicians' and technical support trainers' demographics:
| Software Support Technician | Technical Support Trainer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.8% Female, 26.2% | Male, 64.3% Female, 35.7% |
| 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, 10.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |