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The differences between technicians and repair technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a technician, becoming a repair technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a repair technician has an average salary of $41,643, which is higher than the $38,045 average annual salary of a technician.
The top three skills for a technician include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for a repair technician are customer service, hand tools, and customer satisfaction.
| Technician | Repair Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $38,045 | $41,643 |
| Hourly rate | $18.29 | $20.02 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 596,842 | 162,051 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Associate Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 40 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.
A repair technician's role focuses on assessing the problem or damage of a device and implementing solutions for it to function again. Although the extent of a technician's tasks will depend on the device or industry of employment, most of it revolves around troubleshooting, providing technical support, installing and writing programs, detaching and re-attaching wirings, welding, and even thoroughly discussing problems and solutions to clients. Furthermore, there are instances when a repair technician must work in a team setting that requires coordination and communication.
Technicians and repair technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technician | Repair Technician | |
| Average salary | $38,045 | $41,643 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $58,000 | Between $27,000 And $63,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | SoCalGas |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a technician and a repair technician in terms of educational background:
| Technician | Repair Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Associate Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between technicians' and repair technicians' demographics:
| Technician | Repair Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8% | Male, 88.3% Female, 11.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 4.6% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |