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The differences between information technology specialists and information technology administrators 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 specialist and an information technology administrator. Additionally, an information technology specialist has an average salary of $81,241, which is higher than the $73,195 average annual salary of an information technology administrator.
The top three skills for an information technology specialist include customer service, troubleshoot and computer system. The most important skills for an information technology administrator are customer service, troubleshoot, and linux.
| Information Technology Specialist | Information Technology Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $81,241 | $73,195 |
| Hourly rate | $39.06 | $35.19 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 122,519 | 159,499 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
An Information Technology (IT) administrator is an individual responsible for managing the day-to-day operation of an organization's IT systems and ensuring that the systems are running effectively. IT administrators must conduct consistent analyses of the computer system and install updates when needed. They are required to assess the organization's security programs and run the system for viruses and spyware. IT administrators also extend support to the organization's end-users and train them on desktop applications.
Information technology specialists and information technology administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Technology Specialist | Information Technology Administrator | |
| Average salary | $81,241 | $73,195 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $113,000 | Between $50,000 And $105,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Databricks | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between an information technology specialist and an information technology administrator in terms of educational background:
| Information Technology Specialist | Information Technology Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between information technology specialists' and information technology administrators' demographics:
| Information Technology Specialist | Information Technology Administrator | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.8% Female, 22.2% | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 9% |