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The differences between information technology 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 an information technology specialist and a support specialist. Additionally, an information technology specialist has an average salary of $81,241, which is higher than the $40,782 average annual salary of a support specialist.
The top three skills for an information technology specialist include customer service, troubleshoot and computer system. The most important skills for a support specialist are customer service, patients, and mental health.
| Information Technology Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $81,241 | $40,782 |
| Hourly rate | $39.06 | $19.61 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 122,519 | 125,740 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| 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.
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.
Information technology specialists and support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Technology Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $81,241 | $40,782 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $113,000 | Between $25,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an information technology specialist and a support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Information Technology Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between information technology specialists' and support specialists' demographics:
| Information Technology Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.8% Female, 22.2% | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% |
| 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, 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% |