Anyone with a bachelor’s degree in computer science that has spent a couple of years in the industry may be wondering how they can progress in their careers and advance their earnings. One of the most effective ways of controlling what you earn is by entering the freelance sphere as, this way, you’ll be able to set your rates yourself.
What’s more, freelancers typically earn an increased hourly rate when compared with those who are employed by a company. In fact, the current average salary for a freelance computer technician sits at $46,663, while the average computer technician’s salary is around $37,065. Additionally, the demand for freelance computer technicians is only set to increase, meaning you can increase your prices, especially as you gain more and more experience.
What Does the Job Entail?
Essentially, computer technicians are required to install, maintain, and troubleshoot both software and hardware for organizations and businesses. Therefore, these individuals are often expected to have good problem-solving, listening, and customer service skills.
How Does One Enter the Role?
In order to become a freelance computer technician, one must first determine how much education you’ll need for the role. For instance, almost half of freelance computer technicians have a bachelor’s degree, while as much as 5% have a master’s degree. Therefore, one can deduce that a bachelor’s degree is the easiest way to enter the role; however, it’s not essential. In addition to this, the majority of freelance computer technicians don’t have a master’s degree; however, this is something that could give you an edge against your competition.
Career Paths
In terms of a career in IT, a computer technician is a relatively early role. As one progresses, they may notice themselves taking on more responsibilities and functioning as more of a leader within their job. After getting all one can from a computer technician role, they may progress to a technical support specialist, before making their way to a systems administrator, and finally an information technology manager. Of course, this isn’t the only path one can take within the IT industry, and one of the greatest benefits of being a computer technician is the versatility that this provides. After all, we’re living in a technologically driven world, and someone who knows the ins and outs of a computer will always be in demand.
Also read: Top 10 Tools For Project Planning And Management For Freelancers
Average Salary
As previously mentioned, the average salary of a freelance computer technician sits at $46,663. Despite this, this will vary depending on the skill level, education, and experience of the individual technician.
Desirable Skills
We’ve spoken a lot about education and experience; however, in the world of IT, one’s skills can be just as important. In order to be a freelance computer technician, you’re going to need hardware, PC, troubleshooting, laptop, and printer skills as a minimum. On top of these, you’ll also need to boast the aforementioned character skills, such as customer service and listening.
The Demographics
88% of freelance computer technicians are men, while 59.7% of them are white. As with much of the IT industry, there is certainly a gender and race imbalance. An unfortunate effect of this can mean that anyone who falls outside of either of these two groups will not benefit from certain privileges. Despite this, this doesn’t mean that one should lower their worth to be considered within the industry. What one charge should be based on skill, experience, and education alone, and reducing your costs will not only have a financial impact; it will have an emotional one, too. One should always be proud of the service they can offer and this will always shine through.
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