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The differences between technical support managers 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 support manager and a technical support specialist. Additionally, a technical support manager has an average salary of $106,760, which is higher than the $48,667 average annual salary of a technical support specialist.
The top three skills for a technical support manager include customer service, customer satisfaction and project management. The most important skills for a technical support specialist are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Technical Support Manager | Technical Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $106,760 | $48,667 |
| Hourly rate | $51.33 | $23.40 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 149,977 | 157,425 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.6 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| 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 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 support managers and technical support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Support Manager | Technical Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $106,760 | $48,667 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $148,000 | Between $30,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | Novato, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | BitGo | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a technical support manager and a technical support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Technical Support Manager | Technical Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between technical support managers' and technical support specialists' demographics:
| Technical Support Manager | Technical Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% | Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6% |
| 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, 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% |