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The differences between computer support specialists and desktop 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 a computer support specialist and a desktop support technician. Additionally, a computer support specialist has an average salary of $63,926, which is higher than the $41,792 average annual salary of a desktop support technician.
The top three skills for a computer support specialist include computer support, troubleshoot and technical support. The most important skills for a desktop support technician are customer service, desktop support, and troubleshoot.
| Computer Support Specialist | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $63,926 | $41,792 |
| Hourly rate | $30.73 | $20.09 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 114,029 | 108,944 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 1 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A Computer Support Specialist is responsible for providing the highest customer service for clients with technical and system issues, resolving network failures, and creating support tickets for IT personnel. Computer Support Specialists utilize various system tools and applications to diagnose end-users network issues and conduct immediate troubleshooting. They also help the IT staff design and improve system features and infrastructures and create instructional manuals for deliverables. A Computer Support Specialist must have excellent technical and communication skills to document customers' requests and identify system solutions.
A desktop support technician is responsible for troubleshooting defective computer systems, affecting its performance and efficiency. Desktop support technicians must be highly familiar with the technology systems and programming codes to navigate system applications and locate the discrepancy of the system. They keep documentation of the ticket issue and the resolution for reference and quality improvement. A desktop support technician also configures and updates computer systems and networks for better optimization, as well as conducting regular inspections and monitoring the efficiency of installed programs and patches.
Computer support specialists and desktop support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Computer Support Specialist | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Average salary | $63,926 | $41,792 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $91,000 | Between $32,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Philadelphia, PA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | NTT Data International L.L.C. | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a computer support specialist and a desktop support technician in terms of educational background:
| Computer Support Specialist | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Information Systems |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between computer support specialists' and desktop support technicians' demographics:
| Computer Support Specialist | Desktop Support Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.1% Female, 19.9% | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 11.2% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 11.7% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |