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The differences between field applications 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 field applications specialist and a support specialist. Additionally, a field applications specialist has an average salary of $85,614, which is higher than the $40,782 average annual salary of a support specialist.
The top three skills for a field applications specialist include technical support, CRM and customer support. The most important skills for a support specialist are customer service, patients, and mental health.
| Field Applications Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $85,614 | $40,782 |
| Hourly rate | $41.16 | $19.61 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 97,974 | 125,740 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A field application specialist is responsible for installing and calibrating instruments and conducting training for customers on how to use and maintain the product. As a field applications specialist, you are expected to prepare a technical report for all products and provide recommendations for improvements. Other duties include identifying and resolving network and desktop issues, providing customers with a detailed solution to their product needs and requirements, and supporting the implementation process in collaboration with the sales department staff.
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.
Field applications specialists and support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Applications Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $85,614 | $40,782 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $119,000 | Between $25,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Enfield, CT | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | New York |
| Best paying company | Bio-Rad Laboratories | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Technology |
There are a few differences between a field applications specialist and a support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Field Applications Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between field applications specialists' and support specialists' demographics:
| Field Applications Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.3% Female, 32.7% | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 54.4% 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% |