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The differences between engineering support 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 engineering support specialist and an operations support specialist. Additionally, an engineering support specialist has an average salary of $70,461, which is higher than the $44,233 average annual salary of an operations support specialist.
The top three skills for an engineering support specialist include engineering support, CAD and data entry. The most important skills for an operations support specialist are operations support, customer service, and data entry.
| Engineering Support Specialist | Operations Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $70,461 | $44,233 |
| Hourly rate | $33.88 | $21.27 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 159,095 | 176,034 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An engineering support specialist's role is vital, especially as it relates to security and databases. They ensure that all technicalities of the project, be it for the support, maintenance, or machines' operation instructions, function well. They perform troubleshooting and system updating if needed. They can also recommend ways to improve the operation by reviewing existing programs and applying new upgrades as allowed and suitable for the system. They should report any malfunctions to personnel concerned.
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.
Engineering support specialists and operations support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Support Specialist | Operations Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $70,461 | $44,233 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $104,000 | Between $27,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc. | KLA |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an engineering support specialist and an operations support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Support Specialist | Operations Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between engineering support specialists' and operations support specialists' demographics:
| Engineering Support Specialist | Operations Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 64.3% Female, 35.7% | Male, 44.0% Female, 56.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 11.5% White, 56.5% 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% |