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The differences between application specialists and application support 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 application specialist and an application support specialist. Additionally, an application specialist has an average salary of $84,635, which is higher than the $81,820 average annual salary of an application support specialist.
The top three skills for an application specialist include customer service, customer satisfaction and technical support. The most important skills for an application support specialist are application support, customer service, and troubleshoot.
| Application Specialist | Application Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $84,635 | $81,820 |
| Hourly rate | $40.69 | $39.34 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 96,980 | 118,322 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An application specialist is responsible for maintaining the optimal performance of system applications, ensuring smooth navigation by upgrading the features of existing applications, and performing multiple diagnostic tests before releasing the applications to the digital marketplace. Application specialists work closely with the design engineers to improve system codes, verify the efficiency of network infrastructure, and adjusting application functions based on the clients' specifications and business' needs. They should always consider the budget goals, target end-users, and current market trends to design applications, meeting users' demands and public interests.
An application support specialist's role is to utilize their technical expertise in responding to inquiries and addressing issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and effectively. They may communicate with clients through calls or correspondence, even arrange appointments when necessary. Moreover, one may work as a member of a company or independently. As an application support specialist in a company setting, it is essential to coordinate with different department personnel, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Application specialists and application support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Application Specialist | Application Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $84,635 | $81,820 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $118,000 | Between $52,000 And $127,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Cheniere Energy | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between an application specialist and an application support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Application Specialist | Application Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between application specialists' and application support specialists' demographics:
| Application Specialist | Application Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.7% Female, 46.3% | Male, 61.6% Female, 38.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 11.1% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 11.5% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |