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The differences between applications technicians and desk support technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an applications technician and a desk support technician. Additionally, an applications technician has an average salary of $87,091, which is higher than the $40,715 average annual salary of a desk support technician.
The top three skills for an applications technician include troubleshoot, technical support and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a desk support technician are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Applications Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $87,091 | $40,715 |
| Hourly rate | $41.87 | $19.57 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 88,812 | 130,485 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Applications technicians are professionals who are responsible for providing technical support to the team that is involved in developing business systems applications. These technicians must possess understanding and knowledge in software applications so that they can help users by conducting software training and compiling training manuals. They are required to perform troubleshooting procedures for the propriety business applications and services of the company. Applications technicians must also conduct testing for development trials of their applications.
A desktop support technician is responsible for assisting end-users with their network issues, grant authorization requests, and create user accounts. Desktop support technicians maintain the safety and security of networks, preventing unauthorized access and illegal dissemination of database information. They also handle the software configurations and upgrading the network infrastructure to avoid system downtimes and operational delays. A desktop support technician must have excellent communication and technical skills to monitor systems performance and enhance network navigation.
Applications technicians and desk support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Applications Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $87,091 | $40,715 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $126,000 | Between $26,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Occidental Petroleum | BNY Mellon |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between an applications technician and a desk support technician in terms of educational background:
| Applications Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between applications technicians' and desk support technicians' demographics:
| Applications Technician | Desk Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.7% Female, 32.3% | Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 11.7% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |