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The differences between configuration 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 a configuration specialist and a support specialist. Additionally, a configuration specialist has an average salary of $77,122, which is higher than the $40,782 average annual salary of a support specialist.
The top three skills for a configuration specialist include troubleshoot, system configuration and configuration management. The most important skills for a support specialist are customer service, patients, and mental health.
| Configuration Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $77,122 | $40,782 |
| Hourly rate | $37.08 | $19.61 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 50,788 | 125,740 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A configuration specialist is responsible for preparing computer applications, systems, and software for use. Your duties include assisting in the development of software, assisting in the setup of computer software, and organizing and conducting training on how to use the software. In addition, you will assist in the development and implementation of configuration management procedures, ensuring data integrity, quality, and security in the configuration management database. You will also be responsible for evaluating team members' performance and provide recommendations for improvements.
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.
Configuration specialists and support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Configuration Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $77,122 | $40,782 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $108,000 | Between $25,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | Bed Bath & Beyond | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Technology |
There are a few differences between a configuration specialist and a support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Configuration Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between configuration specialists' and support specialists' demographics:
| Configuration Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.5% Female, 40.5% | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 12.6% White, 54.7% 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% |