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The differences between technician's helpers and installation technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an installation technician has an average salary of $38,043, 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 installation technician are customer service, ladders, and hand tools.
| Technician's Helper | Installation Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $36,448 | $38,043 |
| Hourly rate | $17.52 | $18.29 |
| Growth rate | -4% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 81,564 | 129,534 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Average age | 50 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | - |
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.
Installation technicians are responsible for handling and installing all types of electronic systems and equipment. An installation technician should be well-knowledgeable about the equipment complexity to conduct troubleshooting for system malfunction or provide necessary instructions for the customers. In some cases, installation technicians are required to conduct regular checks and maintenance to ensure that the system functions properly, upgrading, or replacing equipment for improvement. Installation technicians usually handle customer queries for the system and are expected to resolve issues through remote work or area visit.
Technician's helpers and installation technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technician's Helper | Installation Technician | |
| Average salary | $36,448 | $38,043 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $58,000 | Between $29,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Merced, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Washington |
| Best paying company | PNM Resources | Pella |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a technician's helper and an installation technician in terms of educational background:
| Technician's Helper | Installation Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | New York University |
Here are the differences between technician's helpers' and installation technicians' demographics:
| Technician's Helper | Installation Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.7% Female, 12.3% | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% |
| 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, 12.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 6.3% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 6% |