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The differences between technical support engineers and technician support tiers 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 technician support tier. Additionally, a technical support engineer has an average salary of $85,716, which is higher than the $54,889 average annual salary of a technician support tier.
The top three skills for a technical support engineer include technical support, customer service and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a technician support tier are customer service, technical support, and phone calls.
| Technical Support Engineer | Technician Support Tier | |
| Yearly salary | $85,716 | $54,889 |
| Hourly rate | $41.21 | $26.39 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 184,542 | 109,671 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| 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 technician support tier focuses on providing technical support to clients or employees within a company. Typically working in a team setting, a technician support tier addresses technical problems and troubleshoots to identify the root of the issues and perform necessary corrective measures or repairs. Their responsibilities also revolve around responding to inquiries, answering calls and correspondence, conducting regular maintenance of systems and networks, maintaining records of all transactions, and supporting software and networks. Furthermore, it is essential to coordinate with all team members while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Technical support engineers and technician support tiers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Support Engineer | Technician Support Tier | |
| Average salary | $85,716 | $54,889 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $119,000 | Between $38,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Benicia, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | Meta | Scantron |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a technical support engineer and a technician support tier in terms of educational background:
| Technical Support Engineer | Technician Support Tier | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between technical support engineers' and technician support tiers' demographics:
| Technical Support Engineer | Technician Support Tier | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.3% Female, 16.7% | Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9% |
| 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, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |