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The differences between installation 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 installation specialist and a support specialist. Additionally, an installation specialist has an average salary of $49,602, which is higher than the $40,782 average annual salary of a support specialist.
The top three skills for an installation specialist include customer service, ladders and scaffolding. The most important skills for a support specialist are customer service, patients, and mental health.
| Installation Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $49,602 | $40,782 |
| Hourly rate | $23.85 | $19.61 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 103,003 | 125,740 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Installation specialists are skilled employees who are responsible for installing various equipment, machinery, and computer systems for a company or clients. These specialists must work with HVAC contractors to install air-conditioning ductwork and materials in business establishments and homes. They should recommend corrective action when identifying electrical and environmental deficiencies to ensure optimized performance and reliability of equipment. Installation specialists must also test hardware and software to determine its efficiency and reliability as well as its compatibility with the existing system.
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.
Installation specialists and support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Installation Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $49,602 | $40,782 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $73,000 | Between $25,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | Technip USA Corporation | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between an installation specialist and a support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Installation Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between installation specialists' and support specialists' demographics:
| Installation Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 10.1% White, 56.9% 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% |