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The differences between support specialists and information technology technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a support specialist and an information technology technician. Additionally, an information technology technician has an average salary of $49,031, which is higher than the $40,782 average annual salary of a support specialist.
The top three skills for a support specialist include customer service, patients and mental health. The most important skills for an information technology technician are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Support Specialist | Information Technology Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $40,782 | $49,031 |
| Hourly rate | $19.61 | $23.57 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 125,740 | 118,881 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A support specialist is responsible for assisting technical and administrative support, depending on the business need. Support specialists must have extensive knowledge of the services of the organization they work for to assist customers with their inquiries and resolve complaints efficiently. A support specialist maintains documents of issue resolution, providing recommendations to improve business strategies and procedures. Support specialists must be well-versed on technology systems, perform basic troubleshooting, and secure databases. They should also have impeccable customer service and communication skills to attend with customers' needs and requests.
An information technology technician, also known as an IT technician, is responsible for ensuring that all computer systems in a company or organization are running smoothly and efficiently. Their duties primarily revolve around installing and maintaining systems, including software and hardware, and resolving any issues. They also provide technical support such as troubleshooting, navigation, and even system upgrades. Furthermore, an information technology technician can choose whether to work for a company or independently.
Support specialists and information technology technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Support Specialist | Information Technology Technician | |
| Average salary | $40,782 | $49,031 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $64,000 | Between $28,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | New York | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Cravath |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a support specialist and an information technology technician in terms of educational background:
| Support Specialist | Information Technology Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between support specialists' and information technology technicians' demographics:
| Support Specialist | Information Technology Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% | Male, 84.8% Female, 15.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 11.8% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |