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The differences between technical managers and lead 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 technical manager and a lead technician. Additionally, a technical manager has an average salary of $116,619, which is higher than the $90,615 average annual salary of a lead technician.
The top three skills for a technical manager include project management, infrastructure and architecture. The most important skills for a lead technician are java, architecture, and digital transformation.
| Technical Manager | Lead Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $116,619 | $90,615 |
| Hourly rate | $56.07 | $43.56 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 116,732 | 250,590 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A technical manager is responsible for maintaining the company's information systems database and analyzing technology system matters to ensure its efficiency and accuracy in supporting business operations. Technical managers perform network checks regularly to assess any possible malfunctions that might compromise the company's cybersecurity. They carefully analyze business and clients' specifications on working with systems integration, responding to end-users' concerns and inquiries. A technical manager must have excellent knowledge of the information technology systems industry, as well as a strong command on network codes to conduct adjustments and manage network infrastructure.
Lead technicians are technicians who oversee the technical needs of a specific project or department. They are usually tenured employees, and their familiarity with the company's technical and technological processes, software, and hardware would be a great advantage in succeeding in their role. Lead technicians are responsible for installing, updating, and maintaining various software and hardware components in the office. They often manage a group of technicians, and they ensure that the group they manage is properly trained and well-versed on the processes of the company. Lead technicians are expected to have strong analytical skills and decision-making skills.
Technical managers and lead technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Manager | Lead Technician | |
| Average salary | $116,619 | $90,615 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $161,000 | Between $67,000 And $121,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | A.T. Kearney | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Retail |
There are a few differences between a technical manager and a lead technician in terms of educational background:
| Technical Manager | Lead Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between technical managers' and lead technicians' demographics:
| Technical Manager | Lead Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 15.1% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 11% |