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The differences between operations support specialists and systems 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 operations support specialist and a systems support specialist. Additionally, a systems support specialist has an average salary of $61,744, which is higher than the $44,233 average annual salary of an operations support specialist.
The top three skills for an operations support specialist include operations support, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for a systems support specialist are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Operations Support Specialist | Systems Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $44,233 | $61,744 |
| Hourly rate | $21.27 | $29.68 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 176,034 | 159,364 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The duties of an operations support specialist depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around addressing issues and concerns, troubleshooting, and conducting corrective measures, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations. They may also evaluate the processes in a company, identifying vulnerabilities, and recommending improvements. Furthermore, an operations support specialist must also perform clerical tasks such as producing progress reports and presentations, arranging schedules, assessing workforce performance, and maintaining accurate records.
A systems support specialist is responsible for assisting end-users on system issues, including network configuration and improving network infrastructure. System support specialists implement network strategies alongside the whole technology team to boost the system's efficiency and optimal performance. They create resolution reports for reference and write recommendations to prevent system defects and inconsistencies. A systems support specialist also handles network installations and upgrades, requiring them to have excellent technical skills and knowledge of programming languages.
Operations support specialists and systems support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Operations Support Specialist | Systems Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $44,233 | $61,744 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $71,000 | Between $41,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Centreville, VA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Virginia |
| Best paying company | KLA | Koch Industries |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between an operations support specialist and a systems support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Operations Support Specialist | Systems Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between operations support specialists' and systems support specialists' demographics:
| Operations Support Specialist | Systems Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.0% Female, 56.0% | Male, 73.4% Female, 26.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |