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The differences between remote support specialists and customer support specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a remote support specialist, becoming a customer support specialist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a remote support specialist has an average salary of $43,180, which is higher than the $39,470 average annual salary of a customer support specialist.
The top three skills for a remote support specialist include customer service, PC and technical support. The most important skills for a customer support specialist are customer support, phone calls, and compassion.
| Remote Support Specialist | Customer Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $43,180 | $39,470 |
| Hourly rate | $20.76 | $18.98 |
| Growth rate | 10% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 129,512 | 259,592 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 1 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A remote support specialist is responsible for assisting customers and end-users on their network and system issues through electronic communications. These support specialists diagnose technical problems by analyzing customers' statements and conduct immediate troubleshooting procedures, advising clients the instructions to prevent the reoccurrence of system failures. They also recommend system upgrades and installation to boost the system's optimization and operational efficiency. A remote support specialist must have excellent technical and communication skills, especially in writing resolution reports and collaborating with the technical team for process improvement techniques.
A customer support specialist is responsible for assisting a customer's inquiries and concerns regarding the goods and services the organization offers. Customer support specialists handle customer issues and resolve them promptly, escalating high-level complaints to the immediate supervisors. A support specialist will also replace products or process payment refunds as needed. Their goal is to maintain the highest customer satisfaction and keep a good reputation for the company while driving revenues and increasing profitability. A customer support specialist must have outstanding communication skills, as well as the ability to multi-task to record customer complaint cases while providing resolution.
Remote support specialists and customer support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Remote Support Specialist | Customer Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $43,180 | $39,470 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $61,000 | Between $28,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | CDM Smith | Micron Technology |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a remote support specialist and a customer support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Remote Support Specialist | Customer Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | - |
Here are the differences between remote support specialists' and customer support specialists' demographics:
| Remote Support Specialist | Customer Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.3% Female, 38.7% | Male, 37.4% Female, 62.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 10.9% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 7.2% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 7% |