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The differences between program support specialists and operations 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 program support specialist and an operations support specialist. Additionally, an operations support specialist has an average salary of $44,233, 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 operations support specialist are operations support, customer service, and data entry.
| Program Support Specialist | Operations Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $39,327 | $44,233 |
| Hourly rate | $18.91 | $21.27 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 169,855 | 176,034 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| 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.
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.
Program support specialists and operations support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Support Specialist | Operations Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $39,327 | $44,233 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $58,000 | Between $27,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | KLA |
| Best paying industry | Government | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a program support specialist and an operations support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Program Support Specialist | Operations Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between program support specialists' and operations support specialists' demographics:
| Program Support Specialist | Operations Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.7% Female, 75.3% | Male, 44.0% Female, 56.0% |
| 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, 12.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |