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The differences between computer support specialists and customer support engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a computer support specialist and a customer support engineer. Additionally, a customer support engineer has an average salary of $82,674, which is higher than the $63,926 average annual salary of a computer support specialist.
The top three skills for a computer support specialist include computer support, troubleshoot and technical support. The most important skills for a customer support engineer are customer support, technical support, and customer service.
| Computer Support Specialist | Customer Support Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $63,926 | $82,674 |
| Hourly rate | $30.73 | $39.75 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 114,029 | 138,641 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A Computer Support Specialist is responsible for providing the highest customer service for clients with technical and system issues, resolving network failures, and creating support tickets for IT personnel. Computer Support Specialists utilize various system tools and applications to diagnose end-users network issues and conduct immediate troubleshooting. They also help the IT staff design and improve system features and infrastructures and create instructional manuals for deliverables. A Computer Support Specialist must have excellent technical and communication skills to document customers' requests and identify system solutions.
A customer support engineer is responsible for providing the highest customer service by responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns and resolving their complaints regarding the technical products of the company. Customer support engineers handle escalated requests, determine technical solutions, and write resolution reports for reference. They also manage the installation and upgrades of network systems based on clients' specifications to ensure that their systems work with maximum performance. A customer support engineer must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in recommending improvements to prevent system failures and minimize customers' complaints.
Computer support specialists and customer support engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Computer Support Specialist | Customer Support Engineer | |
| Average salary | $63,926 | $82,674 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $91,000 | Between $59,000 And $114,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Nokia | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a computer support specialist and a customer support engineer in terms of educational background:
| Computer Support Specialist | Customer Support Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between computer support specialists' and customer support engineers' demographics:
| Computer Support Specialist | Customer Support Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.1% Female, 19.9% | Male, 85.8% Female, 14.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 11.2% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 15.0% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |