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The differences between systems specialists and support 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 a support specialist. Additionally, a systems specialist has an average salary of $86,020, which is higher than the $40,782 average annual salary of a support specialist.
The top three skills for a systems specialist include customer service, veterans and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a support specialist are customer service, patients, and mental health.
| Systems Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $86,020 | $40,782 |
| Hourly rate | $41.36 | $19.61 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 127,812 | 125,740 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| 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.
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 specialists and support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $86,020 | $40,782 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $120,000 | Between $25,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a systems specialist and a support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Systems Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between systems specialists' and support specialists' demographics:
| Systems Specialist | Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.2% Female, 25.8% | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% |
| 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, 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 | 11% | 11% |