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The differences between automation specialists and operations 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 automation specialist and an operations support specialist. Additionally, an automation specialist has an average salary of $77,750, which is higher than the $44,233 average annual salary of an operations support specialist.
The top three skills for an automation specialist include digital marketing, email marketing and java. The most important skills for an operations support specialist are operations support, customer service, and data entry.
| Automation Specialist | Operations Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $77,750 | $44,233 |
| Hourly rate | $37.38 | $21.27 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 64,079 | 176,034 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| 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.
The duties of an operations support specialist depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around addressing issues and concerns, troubleshooting, and conducting corrective measures, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations. They may also evaluate the processes in a company, identifying vulnerabilities, and recommending improvements. Furthermore, an operations support specialist must also perform clerical tasks such as producing progress reports and presentations, arranging schedules, assessing workforce performance, and maintaining accurate records.
Automation specialists and operations support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automation Specialist | Operations Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $77,750 | $44,233 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $104,000 | Between $27,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Apple | KLA |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an automation specialist and an operations support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Automation Specialist | Operations Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between automation specialists' and operations support specialists' demographics:
| Automation Specialist | Operations Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3% | Male, 44.0% Female, 56.0% |
| 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, 12.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |