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The differences between application support specialists and help desk specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an application support specialist and a help desk specialist. Additionally, an application support specialist has an average salary of $81,820, which is higher than the $51,065 average annual salary of a help desk specialist.
The top three skills for an application support specialist include application support, customer service and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a help desk specialist are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Application Support Specialist | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $81,820 | $51,065 |
| Hourly rate | $39.34 | $24.55 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 118,322 | 75,004 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An application support specialist's role is to utilize their technical expertise in responding to inquiries and addressing issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and effectively. They may communicate with clients through calls or correspondence, even arrange appointments when necessary. Moreover, one may work as a member of a company or independently. As an application support specialist in a company setting, it is essential to coordinate with different department personnel, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
The primary role of help desk specialists is to maintain relationships between the company and its customers. Their duties and responsibilities include responding to guests' queries, providing technical computer support, and maintaining computer systems' performance. Help desk specialists are also responsible for following up with customers to resolve issues and train computer users. There are several requirements to be qualified for this position, which include having relevant customer service experience, problem-solving and analytical skills, and the ability to prioritize vital tasks.
Application support specialists and help desk specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Application Support Specialist | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Average salary | $81,820 | $51,065 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $127,000 | Between $35,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Meta | Schulte Roth & Zabel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between an application support specialist and a help desk specialist in terms of educational background:
| Application Support Specialist | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between application support specialists' and help desk specialists' demographics:
| Application Support Specialist | Help Desk Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.6% Female, 38.4% | Male, 79.4% Female, 20.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 11.5% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 11.6% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |