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Technical internship vs technical support representative

The differences between technical interns 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 internship and a technical support representative. Additionally, a technical internship has an average salary of $38,417, which is higher than the $34,758 average annual salary of a technical support representative.

The top three skills for a technical internship include python, java and patients. The most important skills for a technical support representative are customer calls, smartphones, and technical support calls.

Technical internship vs technical support representative overview

Technical InternshipTechnical Support Representative
Yearly salary$38,417$34,758
Hourly rate$18.47$16.71
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs119,178212,082
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

What does a technical internship do?

In a technical internship, the responsibilities will vary according to the organization or industry. Despite this, most of the tasks will revolve around accomplishing tasks or directives handed out by managers or supervisors, which might include duties such as researching and analyzing, crafting new ideas from scratch, assisting other personnel, and sharing insights during discussions. One may also have to create or improve systems, detect issues, provide solutions, and maintain an active communication line with team members.

What does a technical support representative do?

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 internship vs technical support representative salary

Technical interns and technical support representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

Technical InternshipTechnical Support Representative
Average salary$38,417$34,758
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $54,000Between $27,000 And $44,000
Highest paying CityHillsboro, ORBoston, MA
Highest paying stateOregonMaryland
Best paying companyOCCHP
Best paying industryTelecommunicationTechnology

Differences between technical internship and technical support representative education

There are a few differences between a technical internship and a technical support representative in terms of educational background:

Technical InternshipTechnical Support Representative
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common majorMedical TechnicianBusiness
Most common collegeDuke UniversityStanford University

Technical internship vs technical support representative demographics

Here are the differences between technical interns' and technical support representatives' demographics:

Technical InternshipTechnical Support Representative
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 58.9% Female, 41.1%Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 15.1% White, 53.6% 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 Percentage11%11%

Differences between technical internship and technical support representative duties and responsibilities

Technical internship example responsibilities.

  • Manage the migration to VOIP phone systems.
  • Used PL/SQL and UNIX shell script to automate daily reports as well as any production error alerts.
  • Manage the c-arm and o-arm in the operating room while maintaining the sterile field at all times.
  • Manage group-wide collaboration using SharePoint and enable cross-team communication base on unique team needs.
  • Utilize front-end development - HTML, CSS, and JavaScript - to enhance both existing and new applications.
  • Maintain PACS computer system and serve as data entry operator.
  • Show more

Technical support representative example responsibilities.

  • Serve as a SME and the main point of contact when agents and other leads have questions.
  • Answer eligibility and coverage questions from insurance agents pertaining to Medicare advantage plans and prescription drug plans.
  • Manage mental health portion of health insurance policies including Medicaid and Medicare and other commercial insurance plans nationwide.
  • Generate nationwide reservations provide customer service and negotiating customer dispute (inbound and outbound calls).
  • Work with QA to identify problems and resolutions base on customer issues.
  • Provide product information to customers inquiring about their iPhone, iPod, and iPad features.
  • Show more

Technical internship vs technical support representative skills

Common technical internship skills
  • Python, 10%
  • Java, 10%
  • Patients, 7%
  • C++, 5%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • JavaScript, 4%
Common technical support representative skills
  • Customer Calls, 14%
  • Smartphones, 9%
  • Technical Support Calls, 7%
  • Work Ethic, 6%
  • Internet Connectivity, 6%
  • Customer Service, 5%

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