Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between systems specialists and application 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 systems specialist and an application specialist. Additionally, a systems specialist has an average salary of $86,020, which is higher than the $84,635 average annual salary of an application specialist.
The top three skills for a systems specialist include customer service, veterans and troubleshoot. The most important skills for an application specialist are customer service, customer satisfaction, and technical support.
| Systems Specialist | Application Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $86,020 | $84,635 |
| Hourly rate | $41.36 | $40.69 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 127,812 | 96,980 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Systems specialists are professionals who maintain, troubleshoot, and install information and computer systems. They identify the software, data, and hardware needs of companies. Generally, they work in physically demanding indoor environments installing complicated networks. They manage, lead, and coordinate technical support for new software, upgrades, and products. Also, they configure systems for the users and assess data from different sources to make a decision.
An application specialist is responsible for maintaining the optimal performance of system applications, ensuring smooth navigation by upgrading the features of existing applications, and performing multiple diagnostic tests before releasing the applications to the digital marketplace. Application specialists work closely with the design engineers to improve system codes, verify the efficiency of network infrastructure, and adjusting application functions based on the clients' specifications and business' needs. They should always consider the budget goals, target end-users, and current market trends to design applications, meeting users' demands and public interests.
Systems specialists and application specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Specialist | Application Specialist | |
| Average salary | $86,020 | $84,635 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $120,000 | Between $60,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a systems specialist and an application specialist in terms of educational background:
| Systems Specialist | Application Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between systems specialists' and application specialists' demographics:
| Systems Specialist | Application Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.2% Female, 25.8% | Male, 53.7% Female, 46.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.7% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 11.1% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |