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The differences between technical support engineers and systems engineers 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 systems engineer. Additionally, a technical support engineer has an average salary of $85,716, which is higher than the $82,834 average annual salary of a systems engineer.
The top three skills for a technical support engineer include technical support, customer service and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a systems engineer are python, linux, and C++.
| Technical Support Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,716 | $82,834 |
| Hourly rate | $41.21 | $39.82 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 184,542 | 145,936 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| 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.
Systems engineers are responsible for creating and overseeing systems related to the overall operations of the organization. They are in charge of assessing the organization's needs in terms of systems and creating plans to address these needs. These systems are usually related to the production or manufacturing of company products. Systems engineers create end-to-end processes that ensure efficiency and effectiveness. They make sure that the processes they put in place adhere to safety and security policies and guidelines. They also do routine checks and continuously find ways to further improve production and other systems.
Technical support engineers and systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Support Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,716 | $82,834 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $119,000 | Between $62,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a technical support engineer and a systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Technical Support Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between technical support engineers' and systems engineers' demographics:
| Technical Support Engineer | Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.3% Female, 16.7% | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% |
| 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, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.7% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |