How To Become An IT Technician | What They Do, Salary, Required Skill And More.

Are you that techy guy who loves working with computers and technologies? then an IT technician is the right job for you. Information technology is a very interesting and educating field that you’d learn a lot from even just by experience.

Nonetheless, it is wise we get professional in anything that we do to help us stay at the edge in our careers. Therefore, our group of professionals has meticulously put this article together to guide you on how to become a good and qualified IT technician.

Hence, carefully go through this article to get the most out of it. But before proceeding, t will be nice to get some details of who an IT technician is and what they really do.

Who Is An IT Technician

An Information technology (IT) technician maintains computer systems, provides technical support, and teaches their clients the basic skills they need to operate newly installed programs.

As the name implies, they are based on information technology. They provide general desktop and printer support for a company and their clients.

Network IT technicians install networking equipment, such as routers and switches, and cabling. They regularly monitor networks to ensure that they are running optimally and that no problems are slowing down a network’s performance.

What Does An IT Technician Do?

Do you still wonder what an information technology technician really do? Then, we would give you a heads up. The major duties of an Information technology technician perform in his/her work area is problems relating to the computer and network system. They may include;

• Diagnoses computer problems
• Monitors computer processing systems
• Installs software, and performs tests on computer equipment and programs.
• Set up computer equipment, schedule maintenance, and teach clients to use programs.
• Minor repairs and computer parts ordering.
• Connecting all workstations to the network and relevant servers
• Providing staff with technical support and training
• Configuring routers and switches

Skills An IT Technician Requires

Most IT jobs are quite demanding and require a great deal of computer-based knowledge. This may include having a vast understanding of hardware and software, operating systems, and basic computer programming.

Therefore, to be able to successfully work in this field, one is expected to exhibit certain skills. Thus, below are the necessary skills required to become an IT technician

• Interacting with computers
• Collecting data and information
• Problem-solving and decision-making
• Teamwork
• Consulting and advising others
• Inspecting equipment, structures, or material.
• Patience
• Documenting and recording information.
• Knowledge of various technology types
• Developing objectives and strategies.
• Good oral communication
• Attention to detail
• Good personal skills
• Empathy
• Ability to give clear and concise directions to users

READ ALSO: IT Manager | How To Become One, What They Do, Educational Requirements, Salary, Required Skills And More.

How Much Does An IT Technician Earn?

The Salary of Information technology technicians varies with respect to different factors. This may include, work experience, environment and the job description. Meanwhile, from statistics drawn from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), computer support specialists earn an average of $27 per hour. With an annual median salary of $52,270.

However, the average salary an information technology technician earns is $76,340 per year. Some Information technology technicians also receive additional benefits, such as tuition reimbursement and professional development assistance.

Job Outlooks For An IT Technician

There are many job outlooks and opportunities for information technology technicians. This is due to the fact that they specialize in computer and technology supports. Thus, they can work in various places.

They can either work in a company where they will monitor all the computers and their networks. Or even do an in-house service. Meanwhile, in general, below is a summary of places opportunities lies for an information technology technician.

• Telecommunications
• Data processing, hosting and related services
• Computer system design and related services
• Educational system

How To Become An IT Technician

There are many ways to go about it if you intend to become an Information technology Technician. Surprisingly, some technicians lack formal education but are still good at what they do. This may be due to accumulated years of practical knowledge of computers and networks.

However, having a formal education will put you on an edge in the job market. As it may impress employers and give you an advantage over other candidates when applying for a job.

Therefore, if you have been looking for a detailed guide on how to become an Information Technology technician, you can follow the steps below.

#1. Gain A High School Degree

The first step you need to take if you want to become an IT technician is to finish high school and obtain your high school diploma or GED. It would be beneficial to take computer-related subjects if your school offers these. For instance, some schools have classes in computer repair and operating systems.

#2. Earn An Associate Or Bachelor’s Degree

This is not a required step to become an IT technician, however, gaining formal education will help your chances of receiving a job offer. An Associate Degree in Information Technology can be useful as it covers areas that are relevant to the job, such as system administration, networking, technical support, database administration and IT security.

However, you could also go for a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems, which is a four years program that also offers relevant coursework in subjects like operating systems, database administration, networks and programming.

#3. Gain Professional Certification

Employers often seek IT certifications that show your proficiency and dedication to the field, such as networking or desktop support. Most certification courses do not require formal education, which means you can earn a credential without going to college.

There are many different kinds of certification courses you can choose from, but here are a few popular ones:

• CompTIA A+ certification
• CompTIA Network+ certification
• Microsoft certifications
• Cisco certified network associate certification
• International information systems security certification consortium certification
• Linux+ certification

SEE ALSO: Top 16 Quick Certifications That Pay Well In 2021 | Career Path & Salary

#4. Get On-the-job Experience

Although formal training and certification can give you foundational knowledge, on-the-job experience is a useful way to most of the aspects of being an IT technician. The best way to gain experience is to ask a senior IT technician or an engineer if they could mentor you or if you can shadow them as they work.

Best School To Obtain A Degree for IT Technicians

We have provided you with a list of good institutions, you can undertake a program to become an IT technician. You can see more information about the school and their programs by clicking on them respectively. See the schools below;

1. Stanford University
2. Harvard University
3. University of Pennsylvania
4. Duke University
5. University of Notre Dame
6. Vanderbilt University
7. University of Florida
8. Cornell University
9. Boston University
10. University of Georgia

Conclusion

Wrapping it up, we have clearly highlighted what an IT technician does and what is obtainable as an IT technician. Also, we gave a detailed guide on how to become an IT technician which when you carefully follow the guide, you’d successfully become a good IT technician.

However, if you have any further questions relating to an IT technician, feel free to relate them with us using our comment box below.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers On How To Become An IT Technician

• Interacting with computers.
• Collecting data and information.
• Problem-solving and decision-making.
• Communication.
• Consulting and advising others.
• Inspecting equipment, structures, or material.
• Documenting and recording information.
• Developing objectives and strategies.

You could take a college course in computing or IT support, like a:

• Level 2 Certificate in ICT Systems Support.
• Level 3 Diploma in ICT Professional Competence.
• T level for IT Solutions Technicians.

Here is one path you can take if you want to become an IT technician:

1. Gain a high school degree. …
2. Earn an associate or bachelor’s degree. …
3. Gain professional certification. …
4. Get on-the-job experience.

• Enterprise architect — $144,400.
• Technical program manager — $145,000.
• Software architect — $145,400.
• Applications architect — $149,000.
• Infrastructure architect — $153,000.
• Software development manager — $153,300.
• Data warehouse architect — $154,800.
• Software engineering manager — $163,500.

The work itself usually isn’t that hard, but it can be stressful if you are overworked and scrambling to get things done. There’s also the customer service part of it. It can be difficult to explain things to people who do not know about computers. That part gets easier with experience though.

The average IT Technician salary earns is $76,340 per year

IT Technician Jobs include:

• Diagnoses computer problems
• Monitors computer processing systems
• Installs software, and performs tests on computer equipment and programs.
• Set up computer equipment, schedule maintenance, and teach clients to use programs.
• Minor repairs and computer parts ordering.
• Connecting all workstations to the network and relevant servers
• Providing staff with technical support and training
• Configuring routers and switches

An IT support technician assists computer users with setup, maintenance, troubleshooting and problems they have with their computers.

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