
This CareerStint article about IT technician salary should throw some light on the subject of earnings of people in this field. Scroll down to learn about the factors that influence the salary range.
Although women are found working in all types of industries, IT technician is still a male-dominated profession.
Nowadays, the bare necessities of life include air, water, food, and … computers! Yes, in today’s day and age, one cannot live without computers since these devices play an important role in our everyday work. In fact, in year 2000, around 60% of households in the U.S. owned at least one personal computer. What’s more is that nearly every business in the country, right from hospitals to accounting firms and airports have implemented computer systems to handle regular and daily operations. So, can you imagine the number of times a computer may not work properly, and you may have to get someone to fix it? Going by the data presented above, one could imagine the career opportunities when it comes to IT jobs. One point that many people ponder over is the IT technician salary range.
Average Salary
The educational qualification of the candidate, experience, type and location of employer, etc. are some of the factors that may influence the salary. It is observed that a college degree is often not necessary, and any kind of basic certification in computer hardware and software should be enough to get you a head start in this field. A high school diploma or any other qualification that is equivalent to a diploma should be enough (as long as the candidate has the necessary skills and knowledge) to secure a job. IT technicians with excellent analytical, communication, and customer-service skills can command higher salaries at large corporations. Many people go on to earn more advanced certifications in network administration or engineering later on in their careers. An IT technician is also known as computer technician. A computer and network support technician earns more than a computer technician.
- According to PayScale, the average salary range for someone who is just starting out, is somewhere between USD 20,715 and USD 45,767.
- The salary range for IT technicians at mid-career level is $24,892 – $53,143.
- The salary range for an experienced computer technician is $26,639 – $61,114, and that for a late-career technician is $29,155 – $70,331. The salary would vary significantly according to the job duties and responsibilities and individual performance.
- According to Indeed, the average salary for a computer technician is around USD 33,000.
- According to PayScale, the average annual salary of a Computer / Network Support Technician is $41,872. At entry level, the salary figures can be in the range of $23,804 – $50,453. For experienced candidates, the figures could be in the range of $31,682 – $65,804.
- According to the data presented by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for computer, ATM, and office machine repairers was $36,620 in May 2012.
- Apart from the educational qualification, communication skills, and experience, the salary of an IT technician also depends on other factors such as the type, location, and size of the company. For example, the average salary of professionals working in multinational companies in New York ($40,000) or Boston ($41,000) is higher than that of their counterparts in Dallas ($34,000) or Raleigh ($32,000).
Job Description
Job description of a computer technician entails planning, designing, and implementing the entire computer network. This would include testing, installing, and connecting various computers within the network. Data networks, telecommunication infrastructures, multi-platform computer networking environment, etc. are the different types of networks being installed by technicians; troubleshooting and diagnosing hardware problems, maintaining hardware inventory, taking care of resources, etc. are amongst the important job responsibilities. Maintaining websites on intranets and the Internet is an additional responsibility handled by these professionals.
Apart from technical skills, these professionals are also required to possess the necessary skills for problem-solving. In order to solve a particular problem, one has to thoroughly understand it in the first place. It is therefore, important to possess interpersonal skills required for proper communication, which helps in getting into the depths of problems. In short, these professionals are responsible for smooth running of computer systems. These are all routine operations carried out by computer technicians. However, sometimes they also have to conduct training sessions. Educating the new users about technology and its potential benefits is one of the additional (yet important) tasks assigned to these technicians.
The salary of an IT technician mainly depends on the place where he/she is employed. Those technicians who work in the research & development departments or in consumer electronic shops, who diagnose & replace parts of the personal computers, and who take care of hardware problems, all end up earning slightly more than their counterparts.
A career in this field is great and lucrative for people who wish to start-off early. The best part is that there are no such formal or mandatory educational requirements. Those interested can always learn new things and gain experience; they can increase their knowledge in this field along the way. Thus, experience plays a great role in determining the salary package. At the end of the day though, no one can pin point to you exactly how much you can or ought to earn. After all, how much money a person makes is not based on statistics, but instead, on the willingness to learn and excel in their field.