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The differences between system technicians and computer system 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 system technician and a computer system technician. Additionally, a computer system technician has an average salary of $68,788, which is higher than the $43,410 average annual salary of a system technician.
The top three skills for a system technician include customer service, hand tools and preventative maintenance. The most important skills for a computer system technician are technical support, electronic equipment, and trouble tickets.
| System Technician | Computer System Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $43,410 | $68,788 |
| Hourly rate | $20.87 | $33.07 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 137,121 | 99,879 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A system technician is an individual responsible for supporting users with issues related to the computer system. System technicians conduct appropriate diagnostics on computer issues and must be able to explain technical issues to clients or team members. They should carry out tests on the system so that they can generate error reports to identify and fix any computer system problems. System technicians also can write and maintain computer programs and work with computers and electronics, including circuit boards, computer hardware and software, and computer processors.
Computer system technicians provide support for a company's operating systems. They monitor the system's overall performance and catch errors to resolve as soon as possible. These technicians use software that ensures a network's functional performance, maintains hardware that can affect the system's performance, and relays computer reports to clients in layman's terms. Their jobs include training employees on using the company's hardware and software resources, thus the importance of quickly familiarizing with the system.
System technicians and computer system technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| System Technician | Computer System Technician | |
| Average salary | $43,410 | $68,788 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $67,000 | Between $51,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Pawtucket, RI |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Bristol-Myers Squibb | Berkshire Hathaway |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a system technician and a computer system technician in terms of educational background:
| System Technician | Computer System Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between system technicians' and computer system technicians' demographics:
| System Technician | Computer System Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |