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The differences between technical support engineers and computer 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 technical support engineer and a computer support technician. Additionally, a technical support engineer has an average salary of $85,716, which is higher than the $41,852 average annual salary of a computer support technician.
The top three skills for a technical support engineer include technical support, customer service and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a computer support technician are customer service, technical support, and computer support.
| Technical Support Engineer | Computer Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $85,716 | $41,852 |
| Hourly rate | $41.21 | $20.12 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 184,542 | 121,180 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A technical support engineer is responsible for responding to customer issues, providing immediate resolutions to their system issues through remote assistance. Technical support engineers must have strong knowledge of software and hardware applications to diagnose system defects and process troubleshooting. They also assist customers with the installation of programs and updates to improve system performance, escalating high-level concerns to appropriate internal technology teams. A technical support engineer must have strong command with technical systems, as well as excellent communication and time-management skills to understand clients' issues while documenting procedures.
A computer support technician is responsible for diagnosing and resolving computer and network issues, identifying the source of malfunctions, and improving infrastructure to avoid downtimes and operational delays. Computer support technicians manage the efficiency of all equipment and peripherals for the computers, assist in installing components, and keeping adequate resources or alternatives for defective items. They also recommend minimal costs technology materials and create troubleshooting manuals for reference, ensuring that the network processes adhere to internal guidelines and regulations.
Technical support engineers and computer support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Support Engineer | Computer Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $85,716 | $41,852 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $119,000 | Between $34,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Lompoc, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a technical support engineer and a computer support technician in terms of educational background:
| Technical Support Engineer | Computer Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between technical support engineers' and computer support technicians' demographics:
| Technical Support Engineer | Computer Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.3% Female, 16.7% | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 15.0% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 11.7% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |