Post job

Contractor/technician vs desk support technician

The differences between contractor/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 a contractor/technician and a desk support technician. Additionally, a contractor/technician has an average salary of $54,910, which is higher than the $40,715 average annual salary of a desk support technician.

The top three skills for a contractor/technician include PC, network printers and desktop support. The most important skills for a desk support technician are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.

Contractor/technician vs desk support technician overview

Contractor/TechnicianDesk Support Technician
Yearly salary$54,910$40,715
Hourly rate$26.40$19.57
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs78,980130,485
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

Contractor/technician vs desk support technician salary

Contractor/technicians and desk support technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Contractor/TechnicianDesk Support Technician
Average salary$54,910$40,715
Salary rangeBetween $33,000 And $90,000Between $26,000 And $62,000
Highest paying CitySacramento, CASouth San Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkCalifornia
Best paying companyUnited Software GroupBNY Mellon
Best paying industry-Technology

Differences between contractor/technician and desk support technician education

There are a few differences between a contractor/technician and a desk support technician in terms of educational background:

Contractor/TechnicianDesk Support Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Contractor/technician vs desk support technician demographics

Here are the differences between contractor/technicians' and desk support technicians' demographics:

Contractor/TechnicianDesk Support Technician
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 78.0% Female, 22.0%Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 10.8% White, 56.2% 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 Percentage11%11%

Differences between contractor/technician and desk support technician duties and responsibilities

Contractor/technician example responsibilities.

  • Develop Java base IAM system components to manage security and authorizations.
  • Utilize VMWare for testing various software/hardware configurations before deploying to production status.
  • Maintain government and/or vendor-manufacture telecommunications equipment, fiber optic modems, multiplexer, fiber optic/Ethernet cables, switches & telephone systems.
  • Install end user peripherals and troubleshot any issues.
  • Set up, install, and troubleshot peripheral equipment.
  • Edit and create knowledge base articles, complete all work satisfactorily within SLA's.
  • Show more

Desk support technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage backups, replications and disaster recovery plans of company mission critical servers and database files to ensure redundancy.
  • Use multiple monitor setup display and remote desktop applications via VPN to access associate computers.
  • Utilize desktop deployment tools in order to deploy and maintain inventory for PCs, monitors, and printers.
  • Assist with network connectivity with PCs, laptops, and mobile phones including TCP/IP settings and internet connections.
  • Provide administrative support and troubleshooting for VPN users.
  • Maintain company networks security systems and infrastructure hardware including firewalls and switches and install software security and firmware patches or upgrades.
  • Show more

Contractor/technician vs desk support technician skills

Common contractor/technician skills
  • PC, 10%
  • Network Printers, 7%
  • Desktop Support, 6%
  • POS, 5%
  • Technical Assistance, 4%
  • SQL Server, 4%
Common desk support technician skills
  • Customer Service, 11%
  • Technical Support, 8%
  • Troubleshoot, 7%
  • Phone Calls, 5%
  • Desk Side Support, 5%
  • Remote Troubleshooting, 4%

Browse computer and mathematical jobs