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The differences between program support specialists and information 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 program support specialist and an information specialist. Additionally, an information specialist has an average salary of $69,502, which is higher than the $39,327 average annual salary of a program support specialist.
The top three skills for a program support specialist include program support, veterans and powerpoint. The most important skills for an information specialist are patients, data entry, and customer service.
| Program Support Specialist | Information Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $39,327 | $69,502 |
| Hourly rate | $18.91 | $33.41 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 169,855 | 121,168 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A program support specialist is responsible for monitoring the overall program aspects of an organization from the conceptualization to the final execution. Program support specialists negotiate contracts and transactions with the suppliers and vendors for resources that meet the funding and budget limitations. They process documents and assist the program staff in coordinating with other organizations for program plans and potential sponsorships. A program support specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in handling the program objectives and ensure client satisfaction.
An information specialist is responsible for obtaining data through various strategies such as surveys, research, and analysis. It is essential to coordinate with different teams to learn their data needs and utilize them upon gathering. There may also be instances where an information specialist must work with other groups for tasks, such as building databases and networks. Furthermore, it is essential to ensure data integrity, protect their source's identities, adhere to all the company's policies and regulations, and abide by the state law when gathering information.
Program support specialists and information specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Support Specialist | Information Specialist | |
| Average salary | $39,327 | $69,502 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $58,000 | Between $40,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Trenton, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | Crowell & Moring |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between a program support specialist and an information specialist in terms of educational background:
| Program Support Specialist | Information Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between program support specialists' and information specialists' demographics:
| Program Support Specialist | Information Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.7% Female, 75.3% | Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 10.5% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |