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The differences between junior information technology specialists and technical 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 junior information technology specialist and a technical support specialist. Additionally, a technical support specialist has an average salary of $48,667, which is higher than the $46,556 average annual salary of a junior information technology specialist.
The top three skills for a junior information technology specialist include troubleshoot, switches and NAT. The most important skills for a technical support specialist are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Junior Information Technology Specialist | Technical Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $46,556 | $48,667 |
| Hourly rate | $22.38 | $23.40 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 143,114 | 157,425 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.6 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A junior information technology specialist installs and repairs computer hardware and software systems in a company, ensuring quality and efficiency. Their responsibilities include handling computer components, developing test structures, troubleshooting issues, eliminating bugs, and performing security and maintenance checks to ensure that all networks and data are safe and secured. There are also instances when they must produce progress reports and train new members of the workforce. Moreover, they must provide technical support to employees while implementing the company's information technology policies and regulations.
A technical support specialist is responsible for assisting customer's and businesses' concerns and system issues by performing troubleshooting and remote solutions. These specialists must have extensive knowledge of system applications, including software and hardware database to handle complex processes that might affect the end user's experience or the business' daily operations. Technical support specialists should maintain excellent communication skills to guide the client and business on solving network problems. They must also document concerns and progress promptly for reference and quality checks.
Junior information technology specialists and technical support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Information Technology Specialist | Technical Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $46,556 | $48,667 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $57,000 | Between $30,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a junior information technology specialist and a technical support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Junior Information Technology Specialist | Technical Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between junior information technology specialists' and technical support specialists' demographics:
| Junior Information Technology Specialist | Technical Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.8% Female, 19.2% | Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 13.2% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 11.3% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |