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The differences between technical associates and technical 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 technical associate and a technical support specialist. Additionally, a technical associate has an average salary of $86,489, which is higher than the $48,667 average annual salary of a technical support specialist.
The top three skills for a technical associate include customer service, java and patients. The most important skills for a technical support specialist are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Technical Associate | Technical Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $86,489 | $48,667 |
| Hourly rate | $41.58 | $23.40 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 83,261 | 157,425 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.6 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The duties of a technical associate depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around installing and repairing software and applications, troubleshooting, and conducting regular tests and maintenance to ensure smooth workflow. They must also handle and address inquiries or concerns from clients, resolving them promptly and professionally. Moreover, a technical associate mostly works under the directives of a manager or a more experienced staff; they usually coordinate with team members and produce progress reports.
A technical support specialist is responsible for assisting customer's and businesses' concerns and system issues by performing troubleshooting and remote solutions. These specialists must have extensive knowledge of system applications, including software and hardware database to handle complex processes that might affect the end user's experience or the business' daily operations. Technical support specialists should maintain excellent communication skills to guide the client and business on solving network problems. They must also document concerns and progress promptly for reference and quality checks.
Technical associates and technical support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Associate | Technical Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $86,489 | $48,667 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $122,000 | Between $30,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Finance |
There are a few differences between a technical associate and a technical support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Technical Associate | Technical Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between technical associates' and technical support specialists' demographics:
| Technical Associate | Technical Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.8% Female, 34.2% | Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 15.0% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 11.3% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |