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The differences between automation specialists and application 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 automation specialist and an application specialist. Additionally, an application specialist has an average salary of $84,635, which is higher than the $77,750 average annual salary of an automation specialist.
The top three skills for an automation specialist include digital marketing, email marketing and java. The most important skills for an application specialist are customer service, customer satisfaction, and technical support.
| Automation Specialist | Application Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $77,750 | $84,635 |
| Hourly rate | $37.38 | $40.69 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 64,079 | 96,980 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An automation specialist is in charge of designing and developing new systems to optimize business operations. Their responsibilities typically revolve around performing research and analysis to determine the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems, coordinating with different departments to learn their operational needs, and improving software and hardware. They may also install and repair various equipment, troubleshoot, and conduct regular maintenance checks to ensure efficiency and smooth workflow. Furthermore, as an automation specialist, it is essential to provide technical support to employees, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
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.
Automation specialists and application specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automation Specialist | Application Specialist | |
| Average salary | $77,750 | $84,635 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $104,000 | Between $60,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Apple | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an automation specialist and an application specialist in terms of educational background:
| Automation Specialist | Application Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between automation specialists' and application specialists' demographics:
| Automation Specialist | Application Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3% | Male, 53.7% Female, 46.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 10.9% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |