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The differences between technical associates and technical support representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a technical associate and a technical support representative. Additionally, a technical associate has an average salary of $86,489, which is higher than the $34,758 average annual salary of a technical support representative.
The top three skills for a technical associate include customer service, java and patients. The most important skills for a technical support representative are customer calls, smartphones, and technical support calls.
| Technical Associate | Technical Support Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $86,489 | $34,758 |
| Hourly rate | $41.58 | $16.71 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 83,261 | 212,082 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The duties of a technical associate depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around installing and repairing software and applications, troubleshooting, and conducting regular tests and maintenance to ensure smooth workflow. They must also handle and address inquiries or concerns from clients, resolving them promptly and professionally. Moreover, a technical associate mostly works under the directives of a manager or a more experienced staff; they usually coordinate with team members and produce progress reports.
Technical Support Representatives specialize in customer support through calls or correspondence. Among the primary responsibilities of a Technical Support Representative involves receiving and making calls, address and troubleshoot issues raised by the client, assist when navigating through complicated applications, provide suggestions or recommendations, or elevate the problem to personnel with higher expertise when necessary. Furthermore, a Technical Support Representative must coordinate with supervisors at all times, remain patient and proactive, and as well as maintain and organize records of each handled calls.
Technical associates and technical support representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Associate | Technical Support Representative | |
| Average salary | $86,489 | $34,758 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $122,000 | Between $27,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Maryland |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | HP |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Technology |
There are a few differences between a technical associate and a technical support representative in terms of educational background:
| Technical Associate | Technical Support Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between technical associates' and technical support representatives' demographics:
| Technical Associate | Technical Support Representative | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.8% Female, 34.2% | Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 15.0% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |