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The differences between assistive technology specialists and technical 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 technical support specialist. Additionally, an assistive technology specialist has an average salary of $52,611, which is higher than the $48,667 average annual salary of a technical support specialist.
The top three skills for an assistive technology specialist include rehabilitation, adaptive and technical support. The most important skills for a technical support specialist are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Assistive Technology Specialist | Technical Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $52,611 | $48,667 |
| Hourly rate | $25.29 | $23.40 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 121,308 | 157,425 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.6 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| 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 technical support specialist is responsible for assisting customer's and businesses' concerns and system issues by performing troubleshooting and remote solutions. These specialists must have extensive knowledge of system applications, including software and hardware database to handle complex processes that might affect the end user's experience or the business' daily operations. Technical support specialists should maintain excellent communication skills to guide the client and business on solving network problems. They must also document concerns and progress promptly for reference and quality checks.
Assistive technology specialists and technical support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistive Technology Specialist | Technical Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $52,611 | $48,667 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $71,000 | Between $30,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | Dover, DE | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | CENTER FOR SIGHT | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Finance |
There are a few differences between an assistive technology specialist and a technical support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Assistive Technology Specialist | Technical Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between assistive technology specialists' and technical support specialists' demographics:
| Assistive Technology Specialist | Technical Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.8% Female, 60.2% | Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6% |
| 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, 11.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 11.3% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |