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The differences between application support specialists and database specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an application support specialist, becoming a database specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an application support specialist has an average salary of $81,820, which is higher than the $77,642 average annual salary of a database specialist.
The top three skills for an application support specialist include application support, customer service and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a database specialist are database management, database design, and database administration.
| Application Support Specialist | Database Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $81,820 | $77,642 |
| Hourly rate | $39.34 | $37.33 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 118,322 | 41,500 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
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.
A database specialist is responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the databases to maintain the confidentiality of data. Database specialists determine business requirements and manage multiple operating systems to build the database's efficient structures and feasibility. They also install security protection software tools and programs to prevent unauthorized access and potential leak of restricted information. A database specialist coordinates with the system engineers to improve existing databases and upgrade the network infrastructure for optimization.
Application support specialists and database specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Application Support Specialist | Database Specialist | |
| Average salary | $81,820 | $77,642 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $127,000 | Between $53,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between an application support specialist and a database specialist in terms of educational background:
| Application Support Specialist | Database Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between application support specialists' and database specialists' demographics:
| Application Support Specialist | Database Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.6% Female, 38.4% | Male, 47.6% Female, 52.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 17.8% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 6% |