If you are tired of your current job and considering a career change like becoming a computer technician, your first question is probably what will your computer technician salary be a year.
Computers are a vital part of every business today, and keeping them up and running is more important now than ever.
Any problem to a company’s computer system can mean hours of profitable time lost. This is why computer technicians now play an important role– either as an in-house employee or as outsourced help.
Like any profession, the pay can vary, but there are ranges that can at least give you a general idea of what to expect if this is a career you are seriously considering.
A computer technicians salary is usually determined by the following:
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Education and training
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Certifications
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Years of experience
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Familiarity with specific software, hardware or systems
These four factors are instrumental in gauging what you can expect a computer technician salary to be.
What is a computer technician?
Just from the name alone, you can guess that a computer technician is someone who fixes computers.
But there is a lot more to a computer technician job description, since there are many types of computers all with differing hardware and integrated into many different types of systems.
So, many computers require their own specific brand of technical help.
At the most basic level, a computer technician who works within an organization can assist employees with things like setting up passwords, connecting computers to the company’s network, replacing broken keyboards or an old mouse, or setting up an e-mail account.
More advanced computer technician work involves maintaining both the hardware and software of the computers. Such responsibilities would include testing and debugging new programs, adding memory to a computer, configuring a network of multiple computers (including those that are offsite) and installing a server.
What type of training does a computer technician need?
Most computer technicians have either a high school degree or GED certificate at the very least. However, a majority of them have an associate’s degree in computer science.
Some go so far as to get a higher degree in information technology, information systems management or computer systems administration.
Certificates are also important—especially when it comes to computer technician salary. The chances of getting hired are significantly better with the right certifications.
Showing a potential employer that you went the extra mile to get a special certification and that you are highly knowledgeable in specific fields of computer technician work says a lot about your dedication to the field as well as your preparedness to do the job.
Keeping up with the technology
Because computers and their functions are continuously evolving, it is important to keep up with these changes or else you will become as outdated as the computers themselves.
Continuous training is always a must and will guarantee that your computer technician salary will keep growing as you remain a valuable asset to the company you work for.
What can you expect a computer technician salary to be a year?
The average computer technician salary is $38,000 a year.
This includes computer operators, computer specialists, and operations and maintenance technicians. There are also information technology specialists, systems operators and software technicians who also act as computer technicians but may make more money.
For example, an information technology technician makes an average salary of $41,000. And with those more advanced certifications, you can make anywhere between $50,000 and $60,000.
Of course, a computer technician salary is different– depending on where you live, the size of the company you work for and the industry you work in. Big businesses in major cities are more likely to offer higher computer technicians salary than smaller companies in more rural areas.
What else you need to know about being a computer technician
One of the responsibilities of being a computer technician is maintaining privacy and confidentiality.
As a computer technician, you will have access to everyone’s computer which includes their e-mail, internet activity and anything else that is stored on it.
At times you may have to retrieve or open documents that are of a sensitive nature. You must always remain professional and not share this information in any way with anyone regardless of your relationship with other employees. A high degree of professionalism and trustworthiness is essential.
While you may start at a lower computer technician salary than you figured on, it is a good stepping stone to computer jobs that have the potential to pay a lot more.
As with any career, you need to start somewhere and while you cannot expect your computer technician salary to make you loads of money at the start, you are entering a line of work that will continue to be in high demand.