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The differences between program support specialists and support leads 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 a support lead. Additionally, a support lead has an average salary of $86,816, 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 a support lead are customer service, cash management, and POS.
| Program Support Specialist | Support Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $39,327 | $86,816 |
| Hourly rate | $18.91 | $41.74 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 169,855 | 98,872 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| 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.
A support lead is typically in charge of overseeing the performance of a technical support team, ensuring efficiency and customer satisfaction. Their responsibilities revolve around assessing the performance of the workforce, resolving complex issues, identifying customer needs and sales opportunities, and training new team members. They may also perform calls and correspondence, respond to inquiries, and resolve issues promptly. Furthermore, as a support lead, it is essential to perform clerical tasks such as preparing progress reports, managing schedules, and maintaining records of transactions.
Program support specialists and support leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Support Specialist | Support Lead | |
| Average salary | $39,327 | $86,816 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $58,000 | Between $63,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between a program support specialist and a support lead in terms of educational background:
| Program Support Specialist | Support Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between program support specialists' and support leads' demographics:
| Program Support Specialist | Support Lead | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.7% Female, 75.3% | Male, 52.3% Female, 47.7% |
| 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, 10.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 14.6% White, 54.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |