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The differences between remote support specialists and technical support representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a remote support specialist and a technical support representative. Additionally, a remote support specialist has an average salary of $43,180, which is higher than the $34,758 average annual salary of a technical support representative.
The top three skills for a remote support specialist include customer service, PC and technical support. The most important skills for a technical support representative are customer calls, smartphones, and technical support calls.
| Remote Support Specialist | Technical Support Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $43,180 | $34,758 |
| Hourly rate | $20.76 | $16.71 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 129,512 | 212,082 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
Technical Support Representatives specialize in customer support through calls or correspondence. Among the primary responsibilities of a Technical Support Representative involves receiving and making calls, address and troubleshoot issues raised by the client, assist when navigating through complicated applications, provide suggestions or recommendations, or elevate the problem to personnel with higher expertise when necessary. Furthermore, a Technical Support Representative must coordinate with supervisors at all times, remain patient and proactive, and as well as maintain and organize records of each handled calls.
Remote support specialists and technical support representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Remote Support Specialist | Technical Support Representative | |
| Average salary | $43,180 | $34,758 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $61,000 | Between $27,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Maryland |
| Best paying company | CDM Smith | HP |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a remote support specialist and a technical support representative in terms of educational background:
| Remote Support Specialist | Technical Support Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between remote support specialists' and technical support representatives' demographics:
| Remote Support Specialist | Technical Support Representative | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.3% Female, 38.7% | Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5% |
| 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, 11.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |