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The differences between user support analysts and information technology/support 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 user support analyst and an information technology/support technician. Additionally, a user support analyst has an average salary of $79,842, which is higher than the $45,591 average annual salary of an information technology/support technician.
The top three skills for a user support analyst include user experience, end user support and technical support. The most important skills for an information technology/support technician are customer service, troubleshoot, and computer system.
| User Support Analyst | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $79,842 | $45,591 |
| Hourly rate | $38.39 | $21.92 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 116,372 | 161,748 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
User support analysts are computer professionals who provide support to users by investigating and resolving their computer software and hardware problems. By answering telephone calls and applying their knowledge of computer software and hardware, these analysts are required to talk and answer questions from users to learn the source of error. They must discuss with programmers about software errors as well as call the software and hardware vendors to request service regarding defective products. User support analysts must also revise training manuals and should develop training materials such as exercises and visual displays.
An information technology (IT) support technician is an individual who is responsible for providing support and troubleshoots software and hardware problems faced by customers. As for larger organizations that have their own IT department, technicians must work together internally with their IT staff members. IT support technicians are involved in inspecting and resolving minor local area network and wireless network issues, which include TCP/IP, DHCP, and VPN. They are also required to obtain an associate's degree in computer science or related field.
User support analysts and information technology/support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| User Support Analyst | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $79,842 | $45,591 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $125,000 | Between $31,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a user support analyst and an information technology/support technician in terms of educational background:
| User Support Analyst | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between user support analysts' and information technology/support technicians' demographics:
| User Support Analyst | Information Technology/Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9% | Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 13.9% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 13.2% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |