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Technician vs system technician

The differences between technicians and system 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 technician and a system technician. Additionally, a system technician has an average salary of $43,410, 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 system technician are customer service, hand tools, and preventative maintenance.

Technician vs system technician overview

TechnicianSystem Technician
Yearly salary$38,045$43,410
Hourly rate$18.29$20.87
Growth rate1%5%
Number of jobs596,842137,121
Job satisfaction2-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%Associate Degree, 40%
Average age4043
Years of experience22

What does a technician do?

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.

What does a system technician do?

A system technician is an individual responsible for supporting users with issues related to the computer system. System technicians conduct appropriate diagnostics on computer issues and must be able to explain technical issues to clients or team members. They should carry out tests on the system so that they can generate error reports to identify and fix any computer system problems. System technicians also can write and maintain computer programs and work with computers and electronics, including circuit boards, computer hardware and software, and computer processors.

Technician vs system technician salary

Technicians and system technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

TechnicianSystem Technician
Average salary$38,045$43,410
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $58,000Between $27,000 And $67,000
Highest paying CitySan Jose, CASeattle, WA
Highest paying stateHawaiiWashington
Best paying companyMicrosoftBristol-Myers Squibb
Best paying industryTelecommunicationGovernment

Differences between technician and system technician education

There are a few differences between a technician and a system technician in terms of educational background:

TechnicianSystem Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%Associate Degree, 40%
Most common majorBusinessElectrical Engineering
Most common college-Stanford University

Technician vs system technician demographics

Here are the differences between technicians' and system technicians' demographics:

TechnicianSystem Technician
Average age4043
Gender ratioMale, 75.2% Female, 24.8%Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0%
Race ratioBlack 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, 8.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage2%9%

Differences between technician and system technician duties and responsibilities

Technician example responsibilities.

  • Achieve multiple ASE certifications within first year of employment.
  • Implement and manage UHF radio base stations, repeaters, and command network, effectively linking all regional headquarters.
  • Manage telecommunications installation and repair for hospital Nortel network.
  • Maintain numerous automate scripts to assist in managing Linux systems.
  • Manage, troubleshot and repair multiple wireless technologies including fiber optic transmission switches.
  • Install peripherals including printers, fax machines, scanners, and smartphones.
  • Show more

System technician example responsibilities.

  • Install and manage approve software distributions using Microsoft SCCM.
  • Manage, support and maintain modern EMC SAN storage platform.
  • Manage 185 virtualize desktops running in a cluster VMware ESX environment.
  • Provide on-site construction support and lead system testing, debugging, and startup.
  • Develop and implement a weekly schedule on SQL databases to automate the execution of maintenance plans.
  • Plan and lead training programs on new software development essential to the movement to a paperless travel department for DoD.
  • Show more

Technician vs system technician skills

Common technician skills
  • Patients, 16%
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • Patient Care, 8%
  • Hand Tools, 6%
  • Diagnosis, 5%
  • Preventative Maintenance, 4%
Common system technician skills
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Preventative Maintenance, 6%
  • Technical Support, 5%
  • Control Systems, 4%
  • Security Systems, 4%

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