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The differences between student 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 student technician and a hardware technician. Additionally, a hardware technician has an average salary of $47,851, 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 hardware technician are customer service, technical support, and network printers.
| Student Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $28,926 | $47,851 |
| Hourly rate | $13.91 | $23.01 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 82,671 | 85,174 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| 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 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.
Student technicians and hardware technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Student Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Average salary | $28,926 | $47,851 |
| Salary range | Between $16,000 And $50,000 | Between $32,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lakewood, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Siemens | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a student technician and a hardware technician in terms of educational background:
| Student Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between student technicians' and hardware technicians' demographics:
| Student Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.7% Female, 39.3% | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% |
| 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, 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% |