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The differences between software support specialists and technical 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 software support specialist and a technical specialist. Additionally, a technical specialist has an average salary of $88,773, which is higher than the $62,663 average annual salary of a software support specialist.
The top three skills for a software support specialist include customer service, software support and database. The most important skills for a technical specialist are customer service, technical support, and patients.
| Software Support Specialist | Technical Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $62,663 | $88,773 |
| Hourly rate | $30.13 | $42.68 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 122,134 | 121,151 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The software support specialist works on installing, repairing, maintaining, and troubleshooting software systems used by customers. The software support specialist provides expert services for customers to resolve issues and problems. A software support specialist must have expertise in the software handled and can effectively provide easy to follow instructions for clients and customers to follow. Customer software support is essential to service customers' needs, especially in digital products prone to bugs and performance issues.
The role of technical specialists is to provide technical support for applications and programs to staff members and customers within an organization. They train staff and customers on products and apps and offer advice on the best practices for utilizing technical programs and applications. They also design training materials to teach other staff members the most effective methods of using its technology. It is also their job to reduce company costs by looking for ways to improve productivity and lessen expenses.
Software support specialists and technical specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Support Specialist | Technical Specialist | |
| Average salary | $62,663 | $88,773 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $90,000 | Between $62,000 And $126,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Amdocs | Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a software support specialist and a technical specialist in terms of educational background:
| Software Support Specialist | Technical 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 software support specialists' and technical specialists' demographics:
| Software Support Specialist | Technical Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.2% Female, 38.8% | Male, 71.2% Female, 28.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 12.5% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |