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The differences between systems support administrators and systems 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 support administrator and a systems support specialist. Additionally, a systems support administrator has an average salary of $86,448, which is higher than the $61,744 average annual salary of a systems support specialist.
The top three skills for a systems support administrator include troubleshoot, linux and SQL. The most important skills for a systems support specialist are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Systems Support Administrator | Systems Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $86,448 | $61,744 |
| Hourly rate | $41.56 | $29.68 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 192,994 | 159,364 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A system administrator acquires, installs, or upgrades computer software and components. System administrators perform routine automation of the computer system. They maintain the security policies of organizations or institutions. It is their job to supervise or train their staff or provide support for different projects. They also determine the problems found in the system, analyze the issues, and do repairs whenever necessary. The skills they need include scripting languages, security and monitoring, and account access management.
A systems support specialist is responsible for assisting end-users on system issues, including network configuration and improving network infrastructure. System support specialists implement network strategies alongside the whole technology team to boost the system's efficiency and optimal performance. They create resolution reports for reference and write recommendations to prevent system defects and inconsistencies. A systems support specialist also handles network installations and upgrades, requiring them to have excellent technical skills and knowledge of programming languages.
Systems support administrators and systems support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Support Administrator | Systems Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $86,448 | $61,744 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $110,000 | Between $41,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Centreville, VA |
| Highest paying state | California | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Deft | Koch Industries |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a systems support administrator and a systems support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Systems Support Administrator | Systems Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between systems support administrators' and systems support specialists' demographics:
| Systems Support Administrator | Systems Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.3% Female, 20.7% | Male, 73.4% Female, 26.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 10.1% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |