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The differences between desk clerks supervisors and support specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a support staff, becoming a support specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a support specialist has an average salary of $40,782, which is higher than the $31,772 average annual salary of a support staff.
The top three skills for a support staff include customer service, developmental disabilities and mental health. The most important skills for a support specialist are customer service, patients, and mental health.
| Support Staff | Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $31,772 | $40,782 |
| Hourly rate | $15.28 | $19.61 |
| Growth rate | 36% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 161,915 | 125,740 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 47 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
School support staff provide specialized instructional and student support while utilizing school facilities. They often include diverse staff members whose main role is to ensure that students learn in a supportive and safe learning environment. It is also their duty to enhance school climate by promoting the involvement of parent and family in education as well as to encourage trusting, positive student relationships. They should inhibit positive behavior and send uplifting messages to students as they often connect with them throughout the day.
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.
Desk clerks supervisors and support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Support Staff | Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $31,772 | $40,782 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $40,000 | Between $25,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Lakeland Electric | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a support staff and a support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Support Staff | Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Duke University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between desk clerks supervisors' and support specialists' demographics:
| Support Staff | Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 47 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.2% Female, 68.8% | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 6.2% White, 62.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 11% |