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The differences between software trainers and technical 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 software trainer and a technical support technician. Additionally, a software trainer has an average salary of $68,647, which is higher than the $40,210 average annual salary of a technical support technician.
The top three skills for a software trainer include software training, training materials and training classes. The most important skills for a technical support technician are customer service, technical support, and patients.
| Software Trainer | Technical Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $68,647 | $40,210 |
| Hourly rate | $33.00 | $19.33 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 37,100 | 165,677 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Software Trainers are training specialists who teach computer programs and applications like desktop publishing programs, computer network systems software, and spreadsheets. They effectively explain the technical complexities of computer software. They plan, prepare, and research lessons for the trainees. They also check and assess the work of the students and give them feedback.
Technical support technicians are skilled professionals who resolve computer or information technology-related concerns. They may do installations, repairs, or maintenance activities of various applications or computer hardware. They are sometimes assigned specific issues or concerns to resolve so that they will not be bombarded with various issues. This means that they can now specialize in a specific family of concerns. Technical support technicians may provide on-site support, going directly to the person who needs help and doing what needs to be done or troubleshoot the problem in person. They may also be offsite and would usually be manning helpdesk hotlines. Offsite technical support technicians walk the caller through the steps they should do to fix the issues. As such, when a technical support technician is offsite, they are expected to be good communicators and will be able to provide clear instructions.
Software trainers and technical support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Trainer | Technical Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $68,647 | $40,210 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $81,000 | Between $24,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Philadelphia, PA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | Henry Schein | Ropes & Gray |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Finance |
There are a few differences between a software trainer and a technical support technician in terms of educational background:
| Software Trainer | Technical Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between software trainers' and technical support technicians' demographics:
| Software Trainer | Technical Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.3% Female, 55.7% | Male, 66.7% Female, 33.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 10.8% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |