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The differences between technical support engineers and technical support senior 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 technical support senior engineer. Additionally, a technical support senior engineer has an average salary of $107,429, which is higher than the $85,716 average annual salary of a technical support engineer.
The top three skills for a technical support engineer include technical support, customer service and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a technical support senior engineer are java, linux, and customer service.
| Technical Support Engineer | Technical Support Senior Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,716 | $107,429 |
| Hourly rate | $41.21 | $51.65 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 184,542 | 183,916 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| 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 technical support senior engineer is primarily in charge of resolving complicated issues and concerns through calls and correspondence, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. Their responsibilities include coordinating with customer support staff to gather data, studying records of initial assessments, liaising with clients to identify their needs, utilizing their expertise to develop solutions, and maintaining records of all transactions. Furthermore, as a technical support senior engineer, it is essential to lead and serve as a mentor to others, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Technical support engineers and technical support senior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Support Engineer | Technical Support Senior Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,716 | $107,429 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $119,000 | Between $82,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Meta | PayPal |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a technical support engineer and a technical support senior engineer in terms of educational background:
| Technical Support Engineer | Technical Support Senior Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| 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 technical support senior engineers' demographics:
| Technical Support Engineer | Technical Support Senior Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.3% Female, 16.7% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| 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, 8.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 15.0% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |