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Field support representative vs support specialist

The differences between field support representatives 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 support representative and a support specialist. Additionally, a support specialist has an average salary of $40,782, which is higher than the $35,051 average annual salary of a field support representative.

The top three skills for a field support representative include ROS, quality customer service and FSR. The most important skills for a support specialist are customer service, patients, and mental health.

Field support representative vs support specialist overview

Field Support RepresentativeSupport Specialist
Yearly salary$35,051$40,782
Hourly rate$16.85$19.61
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs114,169125,740
Job satisfaction-3
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

What does a field support representative do?

The duties of a field support representative typically depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In businesses, they are typically in charge of providing customer support and service by responding to inquiries and concerns, resolving issues promptly and efficiently. They may also install and maintain equipment, perform regular maintenance checks, and conduct repairs when needed. Furthermore, as a field support representative, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with staff, coordinating for a smooth and efficient workflow.

What does a support specialist do?

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 support representative vs support specialist salary

Field support representatives and support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Field Support RepresentativeSupport Specialist
Average salary$35,051$40,782
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $53,000Between $25,000 And $64,000
Highest paying CityPhiladelphia, PANew York, NY
Highest paying stateNew HampshireNew York
Best paying companyHPMicrosoft
Best paying industryManufacturingTechnology

Differences between field support representative and support specialist education

There are a few differences between a field support representative and a support specialist in terms of educational background:

Field Support RepresentativeSupport Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Field support representative vs support specialist demographics

Here are the differences between field support representatives' and support specialists' demographics:

Field Support RepresentativeSupport Specialist
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 62.6% Female, 37.4%Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.6% 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 Percentage11%11%

Differences between field support representative and support specialist duties and responsibilities

Field support representative example responsibilities.

  • Manage all ACH files being send to companies, monitor all payments on hold due to compliance issues.
  • Manage mental health portion of health insurance policies including Medicaid and Medicare and other commercial insurance plans nationwide.
  • Provide technical, billing and sales support to RF service personnel.
  • Produce weekly vacation schedules for all Nashville sites as well as reports on FSR movements and progress.
  • Provide JADOCS surge support for multiple exercises and training throughout the U.S. various needs location throughout DoD.
  • Instruct FSR's on the proper policies and procedures, company requirements and technical information relate to performing their duties.
  • Show more

Support specialist example responsibilities.

  • Manage project SharePoint site for the purpose of supporting ongoing collaboration
  • Provide Cerner CPOE learning support to physicians.
  • Train in motivational interviewing, HIPAA regulations, CPR certify, emergency preparedness, suicide awareness, and team building.
  • Participate in inventory taking process and maintain stockroom organization and cleanliness.
  • Create and maintain a database of ACH clients.
  • Configure, setup VPN connections, remote access.
  • Show more

Field support representative vs support specialist skills

Common field support representative skills
  • ROS, 22%
  • Quality Customer Service, 13%
  • FSR, 8%
  • Troubleshoot, 8%
  • Windows, 6%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 5%
Common support specialist skills
  • Customer Service, 16%
  • Patients, 8%
  • Mental Health, 6%
  • Social Work, 4%
  • Peer Support, 4%
  • Data Entry, 3%

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