Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between system technicians and information technology/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 system technician and an information technology/support technician. Additionally, an information technology/support technician has an average salary of $45,591, 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 an information technology/support technician are customer service, troubleshoot, and computer system.
| System Technician | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $43,410 | $45,591 |
| Hourly rate | $20.87 | $21.92 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 137,121 | 161,748 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| 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.
An information technology (IT) support technician is an individual who is responsible for providing support and troubleshoots software and hardware problems faced by customers. As for larger organizations that have their own IT department, technicians must work together internally with their IT staff members. IT support technicians are involved in inspecting and resolving minor local area network and wireless network issues, which include TCP/IP, DHCP, and VPN. They are also required to obtain an associate's degree in computer science or related field.
System technicians and information technology/support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| System Technician | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $43,410 | $45,591 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $67,000 | Between $31,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | Bristol-Myers Squibb | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a system technician and an information technology/support technician in terms of educational background:
| System Technician | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between system technicians' and information technology/support technicians' demographics:
| System Technician | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% | Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6% |
| 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, 10.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 13.2% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |