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The differences between technician's helpers and information systems technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a technician's helper, becoming an information systems technician takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an information systems technician has an average salary of $46,346, which is higher than the $36,448 average annual salary of a technician's helper.
The top three skills for a technician's helper include customer service, HVAC and safety regulations. The most important skills for an information systems technician are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Technician's Helper | Information Systems Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $36,448 | $46,346 |
| Hourly rate | $17.52 | $22.28 |
| Growth rate | -4% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 81,564 | 173,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 50 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 6 |
A technician's helper primarily performs support tasks to assist technicians in carrying out various installations and repairs, learning technical skills along the way. They usually prepare and arrange tools and equipment, set-up and clean work areas, understand blueprints and schematics, troubleshoot issues, assemble materials, and fix and replace components under the technician's supervision. There are also times when they must coordinate with clients to identify their needs and preferences. Moreover, depending on their organization of employment, a technician's helper may also perform minimal clerical tasks such as handling calls, answering inquiries, or purchasing the necessary materials.
An information systems technician is responsible for maintaining the efficiency of various network systems' performance. Information systems technicians provide network troubleshooting, upgrading systems for optimization, maintaining the security of databases, managing the interaction of networks, and inspecting and troubleshooting system inconsistencies. Additional duties include creating network designs based on clients' specifications, configuring software and hardware applications, and creating reports on system issues and resolutions. An information systems technician must have excellent knowledge of information systems procedures, programming languages, detecting malfunctions, and making resolutions promptly.
Technician's helpers and information systems technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technician's Helper | Information Systems Technician | |
| Average salary | $36,448 | $46,346 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $58,000 | Between $28,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | Merced, CA | Rahway, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | PNM Resources | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a technician's helper and an information systems technician in terms of educational background:
| Technician's Helper | Information Systems Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between technician's helpers' and information systems technicians' demographics:
| Technician's Helper | Information Systems Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.7% Female, 12.3% | Male, 73.6% Female, 26.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 5.0% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |