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The differences between technical support managers and support leads 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 support manager and a support lead. Additionally, a technical support manager has an average salary of $106,760, which is higher than the $86,816 average annual salary of a support lead.
The top three skills for a technical support manager include customer service, customer satisfaction and project management. The most important skills for a support lead are customer service, cash management, and POS.
| Technical Support Manager | Support Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $106,760 | $86,816 |
| Hourly rate | $51.33 | $41.74 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 149,977 | 98,872 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A Technical Support Manager is responsible for supervising the overall technical aspects of an organization to ensure efficient business solutions to support functions and operations. Technical support managers evaluate technical networks and systems, coordinating with the engineering team to identify techniques that would maximize the staff's productivity and enhance operational performance. They also review resolution reports and handle resource allocations to execute business plans according to company requirements and specifications. A Technical Support Manager must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in identifying process gaps and upgrading system infrastructures.
A support lead is typically in charge of overseeing the performance of a technical support team, ensuring efficiency and customer satisfaction. Their responsibilities revolve around assessing the performance of the workforce, resolving complex issues, identifying customer needs and sales opportunities, and training new team members. They may also perform calls and correspondence, respond to inquiries, and resolve issues promptly. Furthermore, as a support lead, it is essential to perform clerical tasks such as preparing progress reports, managing schedules, and maintaining records of transactions.
Technical support managers and support leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Support Manager | Support Lead | |
| Average salary | $106,760 | $86,816 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $148,000 | Between $63,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Novato, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | BitGo | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a technical support manager and a support lead in terms of educational background:
| Technical Support Manager | Support Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between technical support managers' and support leads' demographics:
| Technical Support Manager | Support Lead | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% | Male, 52.3% Female, 47.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 11.1% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 14.6% White, 54.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |