What is a Desktop/Network Support?

A desktop or network support is an engineer responsible for identifying and resolving software or network problems. As a desktop or network support, you will be required to assist users and customers with application installation and various peripheral configurations. Also, you will be needed to regularly provide guidance and advice to colleagues regarding issues and incidents. You are also expected to keep a record of activities, identify potential changes, and find new ways to improve the system. Furthermore, you will need to provide basic training to recruits on computer management and operations, complete job reports, and order new computer supplies.

To get a job as a desktop or network support, you need to have a bachelor's degree in computer science or information technology. You must also possess excellent writing and communication skills and a very good knowledge of operating systems. With these, you will earn an average of $45,590 per year or $21.92 per hour.

What Does a Desktop/Network Support Do

There are certain skills that many desktop/network supports have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed customer-service skills, listening skills and problem-solving skills.

Learn more about what a Desktop/Network Support does

How To Become a Desktop/Network Support

If you're interested in becoming a desktop/network support, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 46.4% of desktop/network supports have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 5.6% of desktop/network supports have master's degrees. Even though most desktop/network supports have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become a Desktop/Network Support
Top Desktop/Network Support Jobs Near You

Desktop/Network Support Career Paths

As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a desktop/network support can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as systems administrator, progress to a title such as information technology manager and then eventually end up with the title information technology director.

Desktop/Network Support

Average Salary for a Desktop/Network Support

Desktop/Network Supports in America make an average salary of $49,480 per year or $24 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $68,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $35,000 per year.
Average Desktop/Network Support Salary
$49,480 Yearly
$23.79 hourly
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Roles and Types of Desktop/Network Support

The role of a desktop/network support includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general desktop/network support responsibilities:

  • Prioritize support calls using enterprise ticketing system
  • Deliver professional and timely client communications regarding project updates, ongoing support items,
  • Provide initial remote technical support to end user customers (email

There are several types of desktop/network support, including:

Technical Support Technician

Role:

A Technical Support Technician is the heart and soul of an IT system. They are tech-savvy geniuses who set up, maintain, and repair computer systems for businesses and organizations.

They install and configure hardware and software, maintain the efficiency of the network, run diagnostic tests and electrical checks to identify any technical issue or fault in the system, and nip it in the bud. They test and review new technologies as well and suggest improvements if they see fit.

They are not just excellent technicians, however, but charming people's persons as well, who are able to effortlessly elicit crucial information from customers about their IT issues. They bear with them until they solve the problem with patience and tenacity, give timely feedback to customers following up on matters if necessary, and create documentation of their cases along with reports on the efficiency of the service they provide.

  • Average Salary: $40,210
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Information Systems Technician

Role:

Information system technicians work with computers and communication systems. They build networks and databases, maintain intranet sites, install hardware and software, develop programs, protect the system from malware, and provide technical support for system users.

They may work for various organizations and are members of the IT staff comprising of programmers, IT specialists, software developers, and the like.

This is a very stable and predictable career path with next to no twists and turns along the way. It is hard to find an enterprise, big or small, that could bypass the use of computers, so you are highly unlikely to run out of work. On average, you will earn $44,850 a year.

  • Average Salary: $46,346
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Help Desk Analyst

Role:

A help desk analyst is a customer service agent, helping customers with technical IT problems they can not resolve on their own. They support clients over the phone, via email, live chat, or remote-controlled screen sharing. The role of a help desk analyst is divided into tiers, and they escalate issues from one tier to the next, based on the complexity of the problem.

A good help desk analyst is rare. To be able to hold the position, the first thing you need, of course, is computer literacy. Apparently, being good at small talk is a big plus as well. Empathy and not pretending to be more knowledgeable than you actually are also goes a long way, but this kind of applies to any human interaction.

So to sum it up, help desk analysts need to be good at being human. This is a position with a high turnover because, well, being human is exhausting. Plus, there is a good chance that if you do well on the job, you will be able to move on to a better position fairly soon.

  • Average Salary: $37,318
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree
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States With The Most Desktop/Network Support Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active desktop/network support jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where desktop/network supports earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Desktop/Network Support Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California6,007$49,109
2Texas2,737$52,514
3Virginia2,302$52,913
4Florida2,050$50,262
5New York1,610$62,419
6Maryland1,520$57,009
7Michigan1,502$44,569
8Washington1,497$44,924
9Illinois1,473$48,608
10Pennsylvania1,408$52,797
11Georgia1,241$39,158
12North Carolina1,231$53,494
13Missouri1,150$41,905
14Massachusetts1,126$54,505
15Ohio1,100$50,465
16Colorado1,043$43,353
17New Jersey991$62,413
18Arizona967$48,390
19South Carolina886$40,596
20Minnesota798$41,241
21Alabama746$43,504
22Indiana722$39,251
23Kansas643$41,150
24Utah635$39,536
25Oregon604$43,313
26Wisconsin598$43,063
27Tennessee592$41,280
28Oklahoma562$44,750
29Louisiana542$38,504
30Arkansas486$37,976
31Nevada484$51,473
32Mississippi467$38,157
33New Mexico458$42,834
34Iowa409$51,569
35Connecticut400$52,369
36Kentucky370$41,822
37Nebraska286$40,911
38New Hampshire278$44,810
39South Dakota247$39,987
40Alaska242$38,803
41Idaho218$39,118
42Hawaii205$57,275
43Rhode Island197$55,285
44Delaware173$61,318
45Maine166$47,698
46West Virginia166$41,281
47Montana163$37,265
48North Dakota157$47,759
49Vermont154$50,641
50Wyoming111$40,813

Desktop/Network Support Education

Desktop/Network Support Majors

Business
15.2 %
Computer Science
13.9 %
Computer Information Systems
13.5 %

Desktop/Network Support Degrees

Bachelors

46.4 %

Associate

32.6 %

High School Diploma

7.9 %

Top Colleges for Desktop/Network Supports

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

Top Skills For a Desktop/Network Support

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 28.4% of desktop/network supports listed customer service on their resume, but soft skills such as customer-service skills and listening skills are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Desktop/Network Support Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Desktop/Network Support templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Desktop/Network Support resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Desktop/Network Support diversity

Desktop/Network Support Gender Distribution

Male
Male
78%
Female
Female
22%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among desktop/network supports, 22.2% of them are women, while 77.8% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among desktop/network supports is White, which makes up 56.2% of all desktop/network supports.

  • The most common foreign language among desktop/network supports is Spanish at 59.3%.

Online Courses For Desktop/Network Support That You May Like

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1. Technical Support Case Studies and Capstone

coursera

This course allows you to show what you’ve learned in the previous IT Technical Support professional certification courses and apply that knowledge to realistic situations. The IT Technical Support Capstone leads you through a series of technical support case studies that require hands-on work to resolve. You will practice analyzing user help requests and troubleshooting various issues. You’ll demonstrate your knowledge of hardware, software, networking, security, and cloud computing. You’ll...

2. Introduction to Technical Support

coursera

Gain the daily work skills and knowledge you’ll need for IT Technical Support career success. This course, part of the IBM Technical Support Professional Certificate, is designed for beginners with no prior IT experience or formal degree. Get an insider’s view into IT Support work. Learn about IT Support roles and levels, the support escalation matrix, ticketing systems, common support tools, and remote support software. Then, hear about career opportunities and career pathways from...

3. Computer Network Fundamentals- IT Helpdesk & Desktop Support

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4
(387)

Learn the basic fundamentals of computer networking & OSI model for desktop support and IT service desk technicians...

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Best States For a Desktop/Network Support

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a desktop/network support. The best states for people in this position are New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Hawaii. Desktop/network supports make the most in New York with an average salary of $62,419. Whereas in New Jersey and Delaware, they would average $62,413 and $61,318, respectively. While desktop/network supports would only make an average of $57,275 in Hawaii, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. Maryland

Total Desktop/Network Support Jobs: 1,520
Highest 10% Earn:
$84,000
Location Quotient:
1.53

$57,009

Avg. Salary

View 1,520 Desktop/Network Support Jobs In MD

2. Delaware

Total Desktop/Network Support Jobs: 173
Highest 10% Earn:
$90,000
Location Quotient:
0.88

$61,318

Avg. Salary

View 173 Desktop/Network Support Jobs In DE

3. Virginia

Total Desktop/Network Support Jobs: 2,302
Highest 10% Earn:
$77,000
Location Quotient:
1.56

$52,913

Avg. Salary

View 2,302 Desktop/Network Support Jobs In VA
Full List Of Best States For Desktop/Network Supports

How Do Desktop/Network Supports Rate Their Jobs?

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Top Desktop/Network Support Employers

Most Common Employers For Desktop/Network Support

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Microsoft$134,120$64.4812
2Apple$99,733$47.9510
3IBM$88,035$42.3212
4Dell$86,327$41.5045
5Xerox$62,972$30.277
6Bank of America$60,029$28.867
7Ricoh$54,866$26.387
8Tektronix$54,016$25.976
9Unisys$53,485$25.7110
10NWN Carousel$50,366$24.2110
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Desktop/Network Support Videos

How to Become a Network Engineer
How to become a Desktop Support Technician? Careerbuilder Videos from funza Academy

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Updated April 6, 2023