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The differences between automation 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 automation specialist and a support specialist. Additionally, an automation specialist has an average salary of $77,750, which is higher than the $40,782 average annual salary of a support specialist.
The top three skills for an automation specialist include digital marketing, email marketing and java. The most important skills for a support specialist are customer service, patients, and mental health.
| Automation Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $77,750 | $40,782 |
| Hourly rate | $37.38 | $19.61 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 64,079 | 125,740 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| 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.
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.
Automation specialists and support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automation Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $77,750 | $40,782 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $104,000 | Between $25,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Apple | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an automation specialist and a support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Automation Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between automation specialists' and support specialists' demographics:
| Automation Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3% | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% |
| 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, 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% |