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The differences between technical specialists 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 specialist and a lead technician. Additionally, a lead technician has an average salary of $90,615, which is higher than the $88,773 average annual salary of a technical specialist.
The top three skills for a technical specialist include customer service, technical support and patients. The most important skills for a lead technician are java, architecture, and digital transformation.
| Technical Specialist | Lead Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $88,773 | $90,615 |
| Hourly rate | $42.68 | $43.56 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 121,151 | 250,590 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The role of technical specialists is to provide technical support for applications and programs to staff members and customers within an organization. They train staff and customers on products and apps and offer advice on the best practices for utilizing technical programs and applications. They also design training materials to teach other staff members the most effective methods of using its technology. It is also their job to reduce company costs by looking for ways to improve productivity and lessen expenses.
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 specialists and lead technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Specialist | Lead Technician | |
| Average salary | $88,773 | $90,615 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $126,000 | Between $67,000 And $121,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | California |
| Best paying company | Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Retail |
There are a few differences between a technical specialist and a lead technician in terms of educational background:
| Technical Specialist | Lead Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between technical specialists' and lead technicians' demographics:
| Technical Specialist | Lead Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.2% Female, 28.8% | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 12.5% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 11% | 11% |