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The differences between support specialists and systems administrators 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 a systems administrator. Additionally, a systems administrator has an average salary of $77,156, 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 a systems administrator are linux, troubleshoot, and windows server.
| Support Specialist | Systems Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $40,782 | $77,156 |
| Hourly rate | $19.61 | $37.09 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 125,740 | 134,500 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| 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.
Systems administrators are employees who oversee information technology infrastructures in the office. They are skilled information technology professionals who are knowledgeable about the company's network systems and other technology-related infrastructures. They are responsible for installing, configuring, or updating network systems, software, and hardware. They also monitor the different systems and troubleshoot any issues that users may encounter. Systems administrators manage the access of users, ensure the security of the network, and address any challenges that users may have. They conduct repairs and routine maintenance to ensure that the systems in place are in the best shape.
Support specialists and systems administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Support Specialist | Systems Administrator | |
| Average salary | $40,782 | $77,156 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $64,000 | Between $59,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a support specialist and a systems administrator in terms of educational background:
| Support Specialist | Systems Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between support specialists' and systems administrators' demographics:
| Support Specialist | Systems Administrator | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% | Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1% |
| 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, 8.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 11.5% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 9% |