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The differences between telecommunications specialists and technical support specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a telecommunications specialist, becoming a technical support specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a telecommunications specialist has an average salary of $52,712, which is higher than the $48,667 average annual salary of a technical support specialist.
The top three skills for a telecommunications specialist include telecommunication, switches and communications systems. The most important skills for a technical support specialist are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Telecommunications Specialist | Technical Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $52,712 | $48,667 |
| Hourly rate | $25.34 | $23.40 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 29,962 | 157,425 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.6 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
A telecommunications specialist is responsible for designing and implementing communication networks and computer systems in companies, ensuring quality and efficiency. It is their duty to develop installation plans, oversee networks and systems activities, study the feedbacks of clients and consumers, and develop systems according to the company's needs. They must also maintain logs and records, presenting progress reports regularly. Furthermore, as a telecommunications specialist, it is essential to keep an active communication line with the workforce for a smooth workflow.
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.
Telecommunications specialists and technical support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Telecommunications Specialist | Technical Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $52,712 | $48,667 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $84,000 | Between $30,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Burns & McDonnell | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a telecommunications specialist and a technical support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Telecommunications Specialist | Technical Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between telecommunications specialists' and technical support specialists' demographics:
| Telecommunications Specialist | Technical Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.6% Female, 36.4% | Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 10.3% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 7% | 11% |