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The differences between technical specialists and computer 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 specialist and a computer support specialist. Additionally, a technical specialist has an average salary of $88,773, which is higher than the $63,926 average annual salary of a computer support specialist.
The top three skills for a technical specialist include customer service, technical support and patients. The most important skills for a computer support specialist are computer support, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Technical Specialist | Computer Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $88,773 | $63,926 |
| Hourly rate | $42.68 | $30.73 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 121,151 | 114,029 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The role of technical specialists is to provide technical support for applications and programs to staff members and customers within an organization. They train staff and customers on products and apps and offer advice on the best practices for utilizing technical programs and applications. They also design training materials to teach other staff members the most effective methods of using its technology. It is also their job to reduce company costs by looking for ways to improve productivity and lessen expenses.
A Computer Support Specialist is responsible for providing the highest customer service for clients with technical and system issues, resolving network failures, and creating support tickets for IT personnel. Computer Support Specialists utilize various system tools and applications to diagnose end-users network issues and conduct immediate troubleshooting. They also help the IT staff design and improve system features and infrastructures and create instructional manuals for deliverables. A Computer Support Specialist must have excellent technical and communication skills to document customers' requests and identify system solutions.
Technical specialists and computer support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Specialist | Computer Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $88,773 | $63,926 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $126,000 | Between $44,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Washington |
| Best paying company | Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a technical specialist and a computer support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Technical Specialist | Computer Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between technical specialists' and computer support specialists' demographics:
| Technical Specialist | Computer Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.2% Female, 28.8% | Male, 80.1% Female, 19.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 12.5% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 11.2% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |