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The differences between desktop engineers and solutions engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a desktop engineer, becoming a solutions engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a desktop engineer has an average salary of $102,893, which is higher than the $95,482 average annual salary of a solutions engineer.
The top three skills for a desktop engineer include customer service, SCCM and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a solutions engineer are cloud, pre sales, and java.
| Desktop Engineer | Solutions Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,893 | $95,482 |
| Hourly rate | $49.47 | $45.90 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 87,458 | 123,287 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A desktop engineer is responsible for monitoring the efficiency and performance of computer systems across the organization to deliver high-performance on business operations and client specifications. Desktop engineers resolve computer desktop issues, including navigation and security complications that create delays in the operational process. They conduct regular maintenance with the computer systems, upgrade network infrastructure, and perform configuration to ensure smooth functionality and resolutions. A desktop engineer should have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, recommending system solutions to avoid the reoccurrence of network issues and glitches.
A solutions engineer is an individual who assists customers in identifying their computer software needs and generates customized business software solutions for them. Solutions engineers collaborate with other department engineers to create practical demonstrations of proposed solutions and showcase them to the other members of the team. They are required to test the installed software and fix programming bugs that create errors with the system. Solutions engineers also maintain customer relations by providing post-installation follow-ups.
Desktop engineers and solutions engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Desktop Engineer | Solutions Engineer | |
| Average salary | $102,893 | $95,482 |
| Salary range | Between $77,000 And $136,000 | Between $68,000 And $134,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Ropes & Gray | ByteDance |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a desktop engineer and a solutions engineer in terms of educational background:
| Desktop Engineer | Solutions Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between desktop engineers' and solutions engineers' demographics:
| Desktop Engineer | Solutions Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.7% Female, 11.3% | Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 13.6% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 1.4% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% Asian, 10.8% White, 74.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 7% |