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The differences between operations support technicians and technical 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 technician and a technical specialist. Additionally, a technical specialist has an average salary of $88,773, which is higher than the $38,086 average annual salary of an operations support technician.
The top three skills for an operations support technician include operations support, technical support and data entry. The most important skills for a technical specialist are customer service, technical support, and patients.
| Operations Support Technician | Technical Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $38,086 | $88,773 |
| Hourly rate | $18.31 | $42.68 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 157,716 | 121,151 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An operations support technician primarily performs support tasks to assist teams in various duties and maintain smooth workflow operations. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their industry or company of employment, it usually includes performing research and analysis, monitoring stock inventories, replenishing supplies, preparing and processing documentation, conducting installation and repairs, and liaising with internal and external parties. In some situations, an operations support technician may also handle and assist clients by answering inquiries and resolving issues.
The role of technical specialists is to provide technical support for applications and programs to staff members and customers within an organization. They train staff and customers on products and apps and offer advice on the best practices for utilizing technical programs and applications. They also design training materials to teach other staff members the most effective methods of using its technology. It is also their job to reduce company costs by looking for ways to improve productivity and lessen expenses.
Operations support technicians and technical specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Operations Support Technician | Technical Specialist | |
| Average salary | $38,086 | $88,773 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $58,000 | Between $62,000 And $126,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Apple | Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between an operations support technician and a technical specialist in terms of educational background:
| Operations Support Technician | Technical Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between operations support technicians' and technical specialists' demographics:
| Operations Support Technician | Technical Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.8% Female, 34.2% | Male, 71.2% Female, 28.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 11.5% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 12.5% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |