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The differences between clinical support specialists and desktop 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 clinical support specialist and a desktop support specialist. Additionally, a clinical support specialist has an average salary of $45,892, which is higher than the $44,962 average annual salary of a desktop support specialist.
The top three skills for a clinical support specialist include patients, clinical support and home health. The most important skills for a desktop support specialist are customer service, desktop support, and troubleshoot.
| Clinical Support Specialist | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $45,892 | $44,962 |
| Hourly rate | $22.06 | $21.62 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 161,163 | 102,191 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A clinical support specialist is in charge of assisting medical workers and clients in hospitals or similar facilities. Among their responsibilities include gathering patient information and medical histories, collecting payment and insurance details, helping patients fill out forms, answering calls and correspondence, and assisting staff as needed. A clinical support specialist may also participate in medical research and studies, providing clerical support to researchers and medical experts. Furthermore, it is essential to function while implementing the facility's safety policies and regulations.
A Desktop Support Specialist is focused on troubleshooting different software packages, hardware devices, and other peripherals. They monitor the performance of the company's desktop infrastructure.
Clinical support specialists and desktop support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Support Specialist | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $45,892 | $44,962 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $71,000 | Between $33,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Boehringer Ingelheim | Cornerstone Research |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Finance |
There are a few differences between a clinical support specialist and a desktop support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Support Specialist | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between clinical support specialists' and desktop support specialists' demographics:
| Clinical Support Specialist | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 22.4% Female, 77.6% | Male, 87.6% Female, 12.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 12.3% White, 54.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |