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The differences between systems support specialists and support analysts 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 specialist and a support analyst. Additionally, a support analyst has an average salary of $75,989, which is higher than the $61,744 average annual salary of a systems support specialist.
The top three skills for a systems support specialist include customer service, troubleshoot and technical support. The most important skills for a support analyst are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Systems Support Specialist | Support Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $61,744 | $75,989 |
| Hourly rate | $29.68 | $36.53 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 159,364 | 107,039 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
The role of support analysts is to resolve problems with hardware, computer programs, and peripherals. They may focus on a particular aspect of the information technology (IT) department or give technical support to end-users. They mainly detect issues with IT equipment and software and devise solutions to resolve these issues. Also, they are responsible for answering queries from users, preparing service records, and handling escalations. Support analysts also support the company's IT operations and best practices by creating and distributing relevant IT documents.
Systems support specialists and support analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Support Specialist | Support Analyst | |
| Average salary | $61,744 | $75,989 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $91,000 | Between $50,000 And $114,000 |
| Highest paying City | Centreville, VA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Koch Industries | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a systems support specialist and a support analyst in terms of educational background:
| Systems Support Specialist | Support Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between systems support specialists' and support analysts' demographics:
| Systems Support Specialist | Support Analyst | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.4% Female, 26.6% | Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 12.9% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |