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The differences between technical support specialists and systems administrators 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 specialist and a systems administrator. Additionally, a systems administrator has an average salary of $77,156, which is higher than the $48,667 average annual salary of a technical support specialist.
The top three skills for a technical support specialist include customer service, technical support and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a systems administrator are linux, troubleshoot, and windows server.
| Technical Support Specialist | Systems Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $48,667 | $77,156 |
| Hourly rate | $23.40 | $37.09 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 157,425 | 134,500 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.6 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
Systems administrators are employees who oversee information technology infrastructures in the office. They are skilled information technology professionals who are knowledgeable about the company's network systems and other technology-related infrastructures. They are responsible for installing, configuring, or updating network systems, software, and hardware. They also monitor the different systems and troubleshoot any issues that users may encounter. Systems administrators manage the access of users, ensure the security of the network, and address any challenges that users may have. They conduct repairs and routine maintenance to ensure that the systems in place are in the best shape.
Technical support specialists and systems administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Support Specialist | Systems Administrator | |
| Average salary | $48,667 | $77,156 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $76,000 | Between $59,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a technical support specialist and a systems administrator in terms of educational background:
| Technical Support Specialist | Systems Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between technical support specialists' and systems administrators' demographics:
| Technical Support Specialist | Systems Administrator | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6% | Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 11.5% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 9% |