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The differences between computer system 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 computer system specialist and a desktop support specialist. Additionally, a computer system specialist has an average salary of $71,716, which is higher than the $44,962 average annual salary of a desktop support specialist.
The top three skills for a computer system specialist include computer system, troubleshoot and CSV. The most important skills for a desktop support specialist are customer service, desktop support, and troubleshoot.
| Computer System Specialist | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $71,716 | $44,962 |
| Hourly rate | $34.48 | $21.62 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 89,673 | 102,191 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Computer system specialists are responsible for providing technical guidance in developing and troubleshooting a company's computer systems. They adjust the software to provide the database needs of every department in the company. These specialists manage the intranet and internet websites the network users can access and test for system issues to resolve. They serve as lead workers that provide supervision and training over clerical and technical staff on how the system functions. Their duties also include gathering feedback from users to update the system to provide for their needs.
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.
Computer system specialists and desktop support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Computer System Specialist | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $71,716 | $44,962 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $102,000 | Between $33,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | Cornerstone Research |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a computer system specialist and a desktop support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Computer System Specialist | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between computer system specialists' and desktop support specialists' demographics:
| Computer System Specialist | Desktop Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% | Male, 87.6% Female, 12.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.7% 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% |