Administrator vs specialist

The differences between administrators and specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an administrator and a specialist. Additionally, an administrator has an average salary of $72,882, which is higher than the $58,013 average annual salary of a specialist.

The top three skills for an administrator include customer service, data entry and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.

Administrator vs specialist overview

	Administrator	Specialist
Yearly salary	$72,882	$58,013
Hourly rate	$35.04	$27.89
Growth rate	5%	10%
Number of jobs	67,553	358,433
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	43	42
Years of experience	2	2

What does an administrator do?

Administrators are administrative professionals who oversee the whole office or department. They manage office activities and supervise administrative functions in the office. They work the office calendar and oversee the appointment-setting process. They coordinate office events and ensure that all preparations are made and that there are no conflicting schedules. They also maintain a database of external providers of various office needs. Administrators also oversee office supplies and prepare purchase requisitions. They also manage janitorial services and other functions that are related to the maintenance of the physical office space. Administrators ensure that all fixtures and equipment in the office are functioning well and have no problems.

What does a specialist do?

Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.

Administrator vs specialist salary

Administrators and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Administrator	Specialist
Average salary	$72,882	$58,013
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $113,000	Between $32,000 And $104,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Jersey City, NJ
Highest paying state	Washington	New Jersey
Best paying company	Apple	The Citadel
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	-

Differences between administrator and specialist education

There are a few differences between an administrator and a specialist in terms of educational background:

	Administrator	Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Stanford University

Administrator vs specialist demographics

Here are the differences between administrators' and specialists' demographics:

	Administrator	Specialist
Average age	43	42
Gender ratio	Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0%	Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 8.8% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	11%

Differences between administrator and specialist duties and responsibilities

Administrator example responsibilities.

Develop a Perl script to manage the LDAP schema.
Hire and manage all receptionists and assistant MCA's.
Used all tools of Java stack in supporting and managing it.
Manage and process product orders on windows base on-line computer network system.
Manage ADP time system for technicians and approve time-off requests, supporting management.
Manage professional staff of 9 (including 5 MDs) and support staff of 10

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Specialist example responsibilities.

Create, manage, and assist users with SharePoint sites.
Manage an on-site IRB and company good clinical practice (GCP) inspection.
Manage SharePoint sites by creating, editing, and customizing company sites, libraries and security.
Manage the building of accounts, assigning of static IP's, and scheduling of business class installations.
Convert servers from UNIX to Linux, all hardware diagnostics and repair including printers/plotters/desktops etc.
Follow safety procedures such as maintenance of all equipment (Telxon scanners, terminals and ladders).

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Administrator vs specialist skills

Common administrator skills

Customer Service, 18%
Data Entry, 7%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Payroll, 6%
Financial Reports, 4%
Oversight, 4%

Common specialist skills

Patients, 15%
Customer Service, 11%
Work Ethic, 5%
Patient Care, 4%
Exceptional Client, 4%
Troubleshoot, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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