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The differences between student technicians 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 student technician and a computer support technician. Additionally, a computer support technician has an average salary of $41,852, which is higher than the $28,926 average annual salary of a student technician.
The top three skills for a student technician include java, javascript and SQL. The most important skills for a computer support technician are customer service, technical support, and computer support.
| Student Technician | Computer Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $28,926 | $41,852 |
| Hourly rate | $13.91 | $20.12 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 82,671 | 121,180 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A student technician is responsible for assisting the school personnel and faculty on utilizing class technologies and other learning equipment. Student technicians accept school requests for setting-up audio-visual equipment during school events, class presentations, and related technical support services. They run multiple diagnostic tests on the systems before actual usage to prevent any defects and inconsistencies during operations. A student technician must have excellent knowledge of the technology and mechanical processes to identify preventive maintenance efficiently.
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.
Student technicians and computer support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Student Technician | Computer Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $28,926 | $41,852 |
| Salary range | Between $16,000 And $50,000 | Between $34,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lakewood, NJ | Lompoc, CA |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | California |
| Best paying company | Siemens | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a student technician and a computer support technician in terms of educational background:
| Student Technician | Computer Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between student technicians' and computer support technicians' demographics:
| Student Technician | Computer Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.7% Female, 39.3% | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 14.4% White, 53.9% 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% |