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The differences between technical specialists 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 technical specialist and a systems support specialist. Additionally, a technical specialist has an average salary of $88,773, which is higher than the $61,744 average annual salary of a systems support specialist.
The top three skills for a technical specialist include customer service, technical support and patients. The most important skills for a systems support specialist are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Technical Specialist | Systems Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $88,773 | $61,744 |
| Hourly rate | $42.68 | $29.68 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 121,151 | 159,364 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| 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 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.
Technical specialists and systems support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Specialist | Systems Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $88,773 | $61,744 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $126,000 | Between $41,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Centreville, VA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner | Koch Industries |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a technical specialist and a systems support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Technical Specialist | Systems Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between technical specialists' and systems support specialists' demographics:
| Technical Specialist | Systems Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.2% Female, 28.8% | Male, 73.4% Female, 26.6% |
| 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, 11.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |