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Information technology associate vs information technology specialist

The differences between information technology associates and information technology 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 information technology associate and an information technology specialist. Additionally, an information technology specialist has an average salary of $81,241, which is higher than the $75,790 average annual salary of an information technology associate.

The top three skills for an information technology associate include SOC, data analysis and sarbanes-oxley. The most important skills for an information technology specialist are customer service, troubleshoot, and computer system.

Information technology associate vs information technology specialist overview

Information Technology AssociateInformation Technology Specialist
Yearly salary$75,790$81,241
Hourly rate$36.44$39.06
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs116,996122,519
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

What does an information technology associate do?

An information technology (IT) associate is an individual who assists in the management of an IT infrastructure of an organization. IT associates are required to provide support and maintenance of network and wireless infrastructure as well as manage the technical side of an organization's web content platform. They must assist in the management of the inventory of equipment that can include computer desktops, projectors, copiers, and printers. IT associates should also communicate with staff members so that they can respond to their IT needs as well as provide maintenance and support.

What does an information technology specialist do?

An Information Technology Specialist, also known as a Computer Professional or IT Specialist, is responsible for the computer support of an establishment or individual. Most of the duties require extensive and proactive knowledge of Information Technology, such as in the aspects of network and systems administration, security and information, hardware and software management, troubleshooting, and more. The tasks of an IT Specialist are diverse. It is not limited to installation or activation, as it also involves monitoring, management, and analyzation.

Information technology associate vs information technology specialist salary

Information technology associates and information technology specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Information Technology AssociateInformation Technology Specialist
Average salary$75,790$81,241
Salary rangeBetween $51,000 And $111,000Between $58,000 And $113,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkCalifornia
Best paying companySAPGoogle
Best paying industryFinanceTechnology

Differences between information technology associate and information technology specialist education

There are a few differences between an information technology associate and an information technology specialist in terms of educational background:

Information Technology AssociateInformation Technology Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common majorComputer ScienceComputer Science
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaStanford University

Information technology associate vs information technology specialist demographics

Here are the differences between information technology associates' and information technology specialists' demographics:

Information Technology AssociateInformation Technology Specialist
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 73.2% Female, 26.8%Male, 77.8% Female, 22.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 14.6% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 11.9% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between information technology associate and information technology specialist duties and responsibilities

Information technology associate example responsibilities.

  • Accomplish defect-free releases through careful planning, testing and QA efforts.
  • Upgrade and maintain network hardware including Cisco manage switches, routers, and firewalls.
  • Lead international, multi-organizational software testing teams through the SDLC, towards a production go-live.
  • Manage and coordinate offshore resources in providing control validation testing for large retail company and SOX external audit.
  • Manage workforce forecasting, scheduling, and load balancing for call activities, ensuring SLA and quality assurance metrics are meet.
  • Manage security clearance for unit, conduct security investigation, and maintain security database.
  • Show more

Information technology specialist example responsibilities.

  • Manage VmWare servers across the network to include patches, upgrades, move and cloning.
  • Manage devices by configuring network topology and making DNS records updates/creation.
  • Manage the configuration and performance management of all PC systems and telecommunications.
  • Perform second tier help desk support for U.S. Treasury web-base financial management system.
  • Learned Linux troubleshooting as well as basic HTML, CSS as well as learning the very base of SQL and PHP.
  • Assist with data cabling, setting up router, switches, WAP systems on LAN.
  • Show more

Information technology associate vs information technology specialist skills

Common information technology associate skills
  • SOC, 14%
  • Data Analysis, 12%
  • Sarbanes-Oxley, 9%
  • Project Management, 8%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Develop Recommendations, 4%
Common information technology specialist skills
  • Customer Service, 24%
  • Troubleshoot, 10%
  • Computer System, 7%
  • Database, 5%
  • DOD, 5%
  • System Software, 4%

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