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The differences between assistive technology specialists and 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 assistive technology specialist and a support specialist. Additionally, an assistive technology specialist has an average salary of $52,611, which is higher than the $40,782 average annual salary of a support specialist.
The top three skills for an assistive technology specialist include rehabilitation, adaptive and technical support. The most important skills for a support specialist are customer service, patients, and mental health.
| Assistive Technology Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $52,611 | $40,782 |
| Hourly rate | $25.29 | $19.61 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 121,308 | 125,740 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An Assistive Technology Specialist helps clients to obtain assistive devices that fit their needs. They facilitate access to these devices by maintaining an open communication line with clients and staff, handling calls and correspondence, arranging appointments, answering inquiries, and explaining services to potential clients. Besides helping clients obtain equipment and services, they also provide technical support and assistance to meet their needs, making them feel at ease every step of the way. Moreover, an Assistive Technology Specialist must keep extensive records and implement standards and policies.
A support specialist is responsible for assisting technical and administrative support, depending on the business need. Support specialists must have extensive knowledge of the services of the organization they work for to assist customers with their inquiries and resolve complaints efficiently. A support specialist maintains documents of issue resolution, providing recommendations to improve business strategies and procedures. Support specialists must be well-versed on technology systems, perform basic troubleshooting, and secure databases. They should also have impeccable customer service and communication skills to attend with customers' needs and requests.
Assistive technology specialists and support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistive Technology Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $52,611 | $40,782 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $71,000 | Between $25,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Dover, DE | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | New York |
| Best paying company | CENTER FOR SIGHT | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Technology |
There are a few differences between an assistive technology specialist and a support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Assistive Technology Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between assistive technology specialists' and support specialists' demographics:
| Assistive Technology Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.8% Female, 60.2% | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |